SEO 101
Episodes
Ep 330: Estimating SEO Traffic Levels, Google Bombing Hits the News Again, and Questions from Listeners
23 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this longer than usual episode, John and Ross discuss a cornucopia of news about Google, how to estimate SEO traffic levels, the $5b in EU fines Go...
Ep 329: Working with Crawl Budget, News on Google’s Assistant and Google Duplex, and More
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The hosts discuss Stephan Spencer’s points in his Ultimate Guide to Bot Herding and Spider Wrangling, updates to Google My Business reporting and Go...
Ep 328: Facebook Makes Waves in Local and a Flurry of Google Search Console News
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook appears to have some notable edges on Google that they are putting to good use in their Marketplace. John and Ross devote the remaining show ...
Ep 327: Google Tool Updates Shake Heads and Matt Cutts Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
18 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode delves into the negatives of some significant changes to the Google Search Console (in Beta), and Google My Business’s new Agency Dashb...
Ep 326: SEO Chats with David Harry
04 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ross and special guest host David Harry of the SEO Dojo discuss a wide variety of SEO topics including splitting one site into two, future theories of...
Ep 324: Google’s AI Makes Waves, Page Speed, and Questions from Listeners
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the first peek at Google Duplex and it’s incredible potential, insights on indexation of ugly sites and sitemaps, as well as ...
Ep 324: Google’s AI Makes Waves, Page Speed, and Questions from Listeners
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the first peek at Google Duplex and it’s incredible potential, insights on indexation of ugly sites and sitemaps, as well as ...
Ep 323: Exploring GDPR and Why It Should Matter to You
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is unique because Ross and John chose to feature a facet of regulation that has serious implications for all website owners. The show fea...
Ep 322: Battling Fake Reviews, Changes to Google Guidelines, and More
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode touched on key elements of local SEO such as fake reviews, Google Maps, building reviews and new guidelines around review-gating, Google ...
Ep 321: Google Changing of the Guard, April Fools Goodness, and a Mueller AMA
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode spread into several areas including defections from Google to Apple resulting in a new Head of Google Search, a fantastic April Fools jok...
Ep 320: Google Mobile First Roll-Out, a Google Vulnerability, and New Standards
02 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode got a little nerdy as John and Ross delved into some interesting insights on the mobile first index roll out, Google’s efforts...
Voice Search, Zero Result Pages and 10,000 Members (ep.319)
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s show follows news of SEO 101’s Google Plus Community surpassing 10,000 followers. Ross and John discuss interesting data shared at the lat...
New Industry Benchmarks for Mobile Page Speed; The Ultimate Guide to Bot Herding and Spider Wrangling (ep.318)
12 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Find out how you stack up to new industry benchmarks for mobile page speed. Stephan Spencer and The Ultimate Guide to bot herding and spider wrangli...
Voice Search Ranking Factors and Google’s Mobile First Index (ep.317)
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The hosts discuss the intriguing results of a voice search ranking factor study by Backlinko, followed by more news on Google’s Mobile First Index, ...
Ep 316: Varied SEO News... from WordPress to AMP
21 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This show covered a wide variety of SEO topics including the pending Chrome browser update, Google’s new efforts to improve WordPress, a compliment ...
Ep 315: SEO Audits and SEO Hijacking
12 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross welcome fellow SEO veterans Doc Sheldon and David Harry on the show to discuss a frighteningly impressive website hack that is designed ...
Ep 314: Google My Businesses Q&A Feature Discussion with Mike Blumenthal
22 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Google My Businesses QA is the topic of Discussion as Ross Dunn and John Carcutt welcome back Mike Blumenthal from GetFiveStars.com. They discuss Goog...
Ep 313: Google Algorithm Updates in December, Voice Search Quality Guidelines, and More
08 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this first episode of 2018, John and Ross discuss the changes related to the December 12th Google Maccabee Update and a future rumoured update. The...
Snippets, Local SEO Myths and Google’s New SEO Starter Guide
18 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SEO 101 John and Dave run down the latest in internet technology and programming. Google has confirmed with Search Engine Land that it has ma...
Ep. 311: Google Adds To Featured Snippets; Interesting insight into Foursquare
11 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google Adds To Featured Snippets: Images, Related Search Content People Relations; Google Tests Mobile Search Interface With Few Organic Results.P...
Ep 310: Featured Snippets, Event Markup Spam, and More
04 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The spammers are in the news again about event markup spam, and fake reviews. Ross and John also discuss issues that often arise in SEO and client rel...
Ep 309: The Start of the 2018 SEO Predictions (ep.309)
20 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Dun and John Carcutt discuss some remaining news from Pubcon and then start the inevitable November - December speculations of what’s to come i...
SEO Ranking Factors in 2017; Do Google Posts Impact Rankings? A Case Study (ep.308)
13 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
SEO Ranking Factors in 2017; Do Google Posts Impact Rankings? A Case Study; Adding Structured Data Helps Google Understand Rank Webpages Better Go...
Local SEO Tips & News with Guest Co-Host Joy Hawkins (ep.307)
30 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Dunn and guest Joy Hawkins discuss the latest in local SEO on Google. Some topics discussed: the ridiculous power that business titles have, to Y...
Everything from Blockchain and SEO to Great Questions from the Community
23 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross discuss the emerging powerhouse that is blockchain technology (yup, they geeked out again) and it’s potential impact on everything fro...
Mountains of Google News from State of Search
16 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The recent State of Search conference provided a cornucopia of sound bytes from Gary Illyes covered on this episode. Also, a possible example of the d...
Apple Embraces Google, Google Search Console Insights, and Community Questions
02 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Apple switches away from Bing and moves to Google, a surprise for many. Ross and John also cover a few new pieces related to confirmations in how Goog...
Google My Business Expanding Optional URL's
21 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SEO 101 the guys discuss an array of different topics straddling SEO. They speak on Google Keyword Planner Showing "Okay Google" Keyw...
The 300th Episode: Social Media Strategy And Analytics
07 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SEO 101 we celebrate, this show marks the 300th episode in SEO 101's History. The guys are joined by Jennifer Cario former SEO 101 co-hos...
Google is now showing when a user submits hours that don’t match the hours
17 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SEO 101 the guys talk about a plethora of differnt topics from good to noindex. Google Flags User Submitted Store Hours in Local Knowledge Pa...
Google My Business Posts, Algo Update Rumors, & More
10 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The hosts examine rumors around the Google Search Algorithm updates of late, the acquisition of Yellow Pages by Dex, the Google My Business Posts oppo...
SEO 101 Interviews Mike Blumenthal
26 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Maps joins us to discuss the ins-and-outs of the current local SEO landscape along with the importance of leveraging existing relationships ...
Knowledge Graph Discussions, Local Tests in the Wild, & Questions from the Community
12 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Ross and John review Google UI tests found in the wild, a blackhat SEO tip, John’s foray into buying a home assistant, and we answer three que...
How To Rank for 'Position 0’ in 3 Simple Steps
05 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today on SEO 101 John and Ross start off with Bing joining Google, Pinterest and others in upgrading its image search capabilities. Microsoft also exp...
Bing’s Bots for Local, SEO Myths, and SEO Questions Answered
29 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Ross is joined by stand-in guest host, Scott Van Achte. The show was very diverse. It covered everything from Bing providing bot acces...
Interview with Local SEO Expert, Joy Hawkins
15 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ross John interview Joy Hawkins, the owner of Sterling Sky Inc, Google Local Top Contributor, and creator of the Expert’s Guide to Local SEO. The s...
Google Local Tests and Determining What Low Quality Content is on Your Site and What to Do With It
08 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google has been testing a lot lately and we have a few pieces of intel to pass along thanks to the ever attention SEO industry; they don’t miss a be...
Project Owl, The Latest Google News on Podcasts, News Feeds and Some Discussion on Future Tech
01 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s Project Owl is discussed along with some new finds from hyperaware Google watchers such as a potential Job Search system in the wings. John...
Chat Box Interstitials and Is Change Afoot in Organic Search?
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross explore an article discussing the future of organic search and how much it is expected to change in the near future. They also discuss i...
Google Cracks Down on Unethical Partners & Updates Quality Rater Guidelines
20 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google is finally policing Google Partners with stricter policies due to misrepresentation issues. Also, updates to Google’s Quality Rater Guideline...
Natural News is back in Google’s index
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's show touches on Google's confirmation of an on-site penalty and Natural News is back in Google’s index. They also mention Google now...
Google Local SEO News and Patents
27 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google is now allowing people to save and socially share their favorite places within lists… about frigg’n time! Also Yelp announced a new feature...
Google on How to Hire SEOs
20 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google releases a video on how to hire SEOs. Read Your Text Out Loud… If it doesn’t sound right, it may not rank well. Manipulating the Back Bu...
SEO Insights and Tips from Googlers
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
SEO insights and tips are featured from a variety of Googlers who were vocal this last few days: Maile Oyhe, Gary Illyes, and John Mueller.Advertising...
Google Spam Algorithm Updates & New SERPs Tests
13 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ross and John discuss the latest algorithm updates targeting blackhat SEO tactics like PBNs and linkwheels. They also delve into a wide range of news ...
Bing Testing Bing Saves Search Bookmarking Feature; Google Penalizes French Link Network Buzzea
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bing is testing Bing Saves search bookmarking feature; Google PenalizesFrench Link NetworkBuzzea. Ross also recaps his presentation at thethe Design T...
Google/Yahoo Deal Signed But Bing Not Out
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Yahoos new deal with Microsoft left open 49% of their search to in-house or 3rd party results. Seems they have signed a deal with Google to help fill ...
Google’s Title Tag Rewrites, Links you Can Ignore, and Four SEO Questions Answered
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Google notes links you can ignore, why Title Tags are rewritten, an increase in food thumbnails in search results, and more direct emails from Google ...
New Google Guideline Testing Tool, Conversational Shopping and SEO Questions from Listeners
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A New Google Guideline Testing Tool, Conversational Shopping and SEO Questions from Listeners as John Carcutt and Ross Dunn feature some of the early...
The Illyes Files and Mueller Files Deliver with Tons of Significant Google and SEO Updates
29 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners know we have had the Mueller Files for a while now, well… it’s time for the Illyes Files to make its presence known. This is because Gar...
What SEOs Need to Know About Google Crawl Budgets
26 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ross and John talk about Google Crawl budgets and what you need to know. Click to close mobile ads will now be penalized by Google. Plus, they explai...
How to Develop a New Site that is SEO Ready (Episode 282)
12 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Yahoo out, Altaba in, and the mobile interstitial penalty is rolling out. The bulk of the show, however, is focused on some key steps to creating a si...
Year in Search 2016; Voice-activated Actions for Google Home
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Starting in the New Year, we learn about how John's work setup is evolving into a new team increasing SEO team by close to 500%. Plus Google Blog ...
Which Content Nets Social Traffic and Links
22 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
BuzzSumo study on content and SEO reveals that 50% of content gets less than 8 shares (across all social),75% of content generates ZERO links. John an...
Local SEO Updates and Fake News Are the Order of the Day
24 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google makes more changes to local schema requirements, local box results, asks for topics for the Google Webmaster Hangouts, we answer a question fro...
News on Mobile vs Desktop Indexes, Hidden Content and Google’s Ranking Factors
10 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s mobile-first focus and announcements to that effect led many to believe the indexes would be split but, the latest news seems to discount t...
Warnings for Google My Business & AMP Users, Plus SEO Questions Answered
27 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hacking and phishing took an abnormally significant portion of this show. In addition, John & Ross discussed SEO budgets, determining SEO value, a...
The Illyes Files and Mueller Files Deliver with Tons of Significant Google and SEO Updates
20 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners know we have had the Mueller Files for a while now, well… it’s time for the Illyes Files to make its presence known. This is because Gar...
No Changes Needed in Tactics Due to Google Penguin 4.0
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
No Changes Needed in Tactics Due to Google Penguin 4.0, plus Google’s Gary Illyes said on my public Facebook post that the new Penguin algorithm “...
Local SEO Updates, 111 Degrees, and More Keyword Planner News
15 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Though the insights haven’t begun to solidify, the Mozcast showed a startling 111 degrees today and that prefaced a show of many thoughts on Google’...
Google’s Algorithm Updates Hits Organic and Local with a Bodycount
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ross and John review the latest Google updates to organic and local search results with an emphasis on local. They discuss the addition of critic revi...
Keyword Planner Throttles Low Spenders, AMP, and Mobile-Friendly News as well as Questions Answered from the Community
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ross and his guest co-host Scott Van Achte discuss Google’s throttling of keyword planner data for low-paying advertisers, HireMoz.com, dropping the...
Google Keyword Planner Restrictions Come Back and a Healthy Dose of Local SEO News
11 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s bogus “accidental” blocking of the keyword planner to those without Adwords campaigns has come back in a new form - restricted results ...
SEO - As Dirty As Ever
28 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross discuss Verizon buying Yahoo, automating SEO, and whether 301 vs. 302 redirects matter anymore. They also answer - quite literally - a m...
Dirty SEO and a Legitimate Million Dollar Question
28 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John Carcutt and Ross Dunn discuss Verizon buying Yahoo, automating SEO, and whether 301 vs. 302 redirects matter anymore. They also answer - quite li...
Stone Temple Study and the Google AMP Case Study
22 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross discuss how few links make a large difference in some very high volume terms. Quality links are still the key, widespread link building ...
Google Signal vs Ranking Factor - is there a Difference?
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross discuss the intricacies of algorithmic lingo in the SEO world, HTTPS taking over, an ode to authorship, and they answer questions from l...
Is the Google Keyword Planner Necessary for SEOs Anymore?
30 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
After Google shut access to the keyword planner to everyone but those with active AdWords campaign the SEO world lit up with anger. But, was this just...
Dr. Google Confirms Ads Coming to Local Pack
24 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google is adding its own symptom-related direct answers on mobile in the US. The info is sourced from a team of expert doctors from Harvard Medical Sc...
A Google PageSpeed Rant, Insights into Local SEO, and SEO Questions Answered
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ross outlines some curious results from Google PageSpeed Insights and decides it is time to reach out to Google. The Mueller files cover URL structure...
Google Widens Search Results and Launches Mobile Keyboard for Both Android and Apple
18 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A new episodeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Voice Search Query Tracking and the $64 Billion SEO Industry
12 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A new episodeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Why Google Suspends Local Listings and the Change to Cranberry.FM
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross introduce what is the first episode of SEO 101 at its new home on Cranberry.FM. The rest of the show digs into some of the reasons Googl...
Google Manual Penalties Handed out to Paid Reviews Sites and EasyRecipe Plugin Users
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google dropped the manual penalty hammer on websites providing paid reviews of products without nofollowing links, and on sites using the popular Easy...
Should Googles RankBrain Matter to You? With Special Guest David Harry
30 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John and Ross interview David Harry about his article Getting Your Head Around RankBrain to debunk many of the incorrect assumptions about this machin...
How to Improve Local Search Rankings
23 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How to Improve Local Search Rankings, RankBrain News as RankBrain does not impact either Crawling or Algos. Plus, we hearQuestions from the Community ...
Google Addresses Referral Spam in Analytics, Toolbar PageRank Yanked, News on Manual Penalties, and More
16 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It was a busy week in news with Google finally removing the majority of referral SPAM from Google Analytics, we discussed manual action penalties from...
New Google Guideline Testing Tool, Conversational Shopping and SEO Questions from Listeners
04 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A New Google Guideline Testing Tool, Conversational Shopping and SEO Questions from Listeners as John Carcutt and Ross Dunn feature some of the early...
Google AdWords Sidebar Change Update
02 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google AdWords Sidebar Change Update , plus learn about an Opportunity of a Lifetime for an SEO.AMP Results Now Live in Search asGoogle began pushing ...
WTF is “Social Engineering Content”
24 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Snippets may depend on quality of other pages in your SERP. So if your page is not getting a Rich Snippet, it may be because of the other pages ...
Google Head of Search Announces Retirement
17 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Google head of search announces retirement. Amit Singhal will be succeeded by John Giannandrea, who leads the company's artificial intelligence re...
AlphaGo and Timely SEO Win in Politics
03 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
AlphaGo Concurs Go using machine learning, the number of moves in Go are roughly equal to a google more than all those in chess.An interesting example...
Big Google Update: But Not Penguin or Panda
20 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Big Google Update! But it's Not Penguin 4.0, not Panda (though Panda now part of the Core Algo),Brand Term related (big impact on News Sites).It i...
How Google Handles Different Types of Duplicate Content?
13 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How Does Google Handle Different Types of Duplicate Content?Created by Technical Issues? Ross Dunn and John Carcuttlearn the impact of duplicate URLs ...
STAR WARS !!!! & STAR TREK !!!!
16 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Learn all about changes to Google+ Local.. Google AMP may be coming to an SEO requirement near you, Penguin 4 may be here in January, and Yahoo may po...
Goodbye to Google+ Local
16 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Goodbye to to Google+ Local as Google Kills Off Google+ Local but is Still Committed to Local Search. Google AMP may be coming to an SEO requirem...
Damn It Google WTF !!!!
09 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Learn all about what Google 2015 quality raters guidelines mean for SEOs, and the Penguin Real Time update getting delayed till next year. Googl...
Google Penguin Real Time Update Delayed
09 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Learn all about what Google 2015 quality raters guidelines mean for SEOs, and the Penguin Real Time update getting delayed till next year. Googl...
BuzzSumo Study on Content; Google Moves to Streaming Apps in Mobile Search
25 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
BuzzSumo study on content, SEO relevant part:50% of content gets less than 8 shares (across all social,75% of content generates ZERO links. Google mov...
6000 Members on the Google+ Community; Google Launches New Search Results Interface for Tablets
11 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
6000 members on the Google+ community; Google launches new search results interface for tablets; What does Yahoo’s new Google partnership mea...
New Google RankBrain Algorithm; Possibilities and Implications of Self-Learning
04 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Learn all about the new Google RankBrain algorithm as well aswhat the possibilities and implications of Self-Learningare.Google WMC detects and gets r...
Google / Yahoo Deal Signed But Bing Not Out; From CBC’s “The Current”; A Quick PPC Note
28 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Yahoo’s new deal with Microsoft left open 49% of their search to in-house or 3rd party results. Seems they have signed a deal with Google to help ...
Hacked Sites No Longer Show in Search; How to Fix Panda; Accelerated Mobile Pages
14 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Hacked site notifications no longer show in search results.. neither do hacked sites,is it better to improve quality content than remove pages to fix ...
Google Changes Remove URL Tool; Google Says Dont Delete Your Rel=Author
07 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Google Changes Remove URL Tool, Google says Dont delete your rel=author, plus things to look for when outsourcing your SEO, plus listeners questions o...
Webmaster Tools; The Accuracy of Geo Targeting; Phone Numbers in Local Search Listings
30 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
John Carcutt and Ross Dunn discuss several topics in Google, starting with the real-timePenguin algorithm, moving on to having competing sites in the ...
Tribute to Dana Lookadoo; Repeat Google Spammers Getting Harsher Penalized
23 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
John Carcutt and Ross Dunn dedicate this wonderful episode to their lost friend Dana Lookadoo. They discuss Bing dropping link explorer, Repeat Google...
Google Webmaster Tools Link Update; Google Never Sends Warnings About Web Spam
16 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Dun and John Carcutt touch on new factors of Google including webmaster tools link updates,never sending warnings about web spam, and crawling un...
Changes in the Webmaster World
09 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
John Carcutt and Ross Dunn discuss some recent changes to webmaster tools. They mention tools liketabcloud, microformats, and rexswain.comwhich are ve...
Referral Spam, Google Direct Answers and Links Google Crawls Pages For
03 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Followup from John Mueller on Referral Spam; Local 3-Pack on Top of Results 93percentof the time; Google Direct Answers (a Case Study). Plus ,Google o...
Google 2016 Influence; Comparing MOZ and SearchMetrics Ranking Factor Reports
26 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Google 2016 !!??How much influence do they have?Both the MOZ and SearchMetrics Ranking Factor reports are out.Which one is better?Plus,Are Desktop Sit...