The State Of SEO 2024: Disruptions And Opportunities with Ben Steele - EP320
08/30/23 • 41 min
1 Listener
Using data gathered from 3,890 SEO professionals for our annual State of SEO report, we're ready to give you new insights on the disruptive factors in the industry. From the rise of generative AI to shifting content trends, there are many opportunities to use these new disruptions to your advantage and stay ahead in such a competitive time.
Ben Steele, senior editor at Search Engine Journal, joined me on this SEJ Show to break down the three significant disruptions in the SEO world and the opportunities they present. We examined the process behind implementing generative AI and what AI might look like next year.
Get tactics for communicating your SEO value, tips on new ways to cultivate your audience, and new content creation strategies for facing changing trends.
People noted that generative AI would be the biggest disruptor. However, respondents are largely positive; they feel optimistic about the impact of generative AI and its potential to affect their business's bottom line. I think there's an interesting duality to note there. It's disrupting many things, but people are still excited about it. –Ben Steele, 04:33
You bring up a great point about adapting focus. The industry is incredibly dynamic. With the acceleration of AI, changes in search engine algorithms, and evolving user behavior, SEO professionals need to be agile. They have to reassess and adapt their metric priorities in real time to ensure they're capturing the most relevant data, which translates to business value. That could be the reason we had to revisit the metrics we included in this year's survey. –Ben Steele, 20:29
While I can't predict the future with absolute certainty, what's clear is that the traditional role of an SEO professional is already transforming. SEO is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. It's no longer just about optimizing for search engines; it's about optimizing for user experience, understanding data analytics, and even having some proficiency with AI and machine learning models. –Ben Steele, 21:15
[00:00] - About Ben.
[03:57] - Top disruptors in SEO.
[04:33] - Has generative AI affected search yet?
[07:07] - User behavior toward new technology: voice search example.
[10:46] - Freelancers moving to permanent positions.
[12:15] - Impact of layoffs in tech companies.
[16:34] - Priority metrics for SEO professionals.
[18:05] - Agency vs. in-house SEO communication struggles.
[22:20] - Importance of click-through rate as a metric.
[27:25] - SEO's role in ecommerce and Google Shopping.
[28:53] - Content's role in SEO.
[29:37] - Top barriers to SEO success.
[30:57] - Communication barriers in SEO.
[32:31] - Frequency of Google updates.
[34:01] - Changes in Google SERPs.
[34:36] - Major takeaways in the SEO report.
[36:46] - Navigating SEO algorithm changes.
[38:03] - Communicating SEO value.
Resources mentioned:
State of SEO 2024 - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-of-seo/
An SEO's job is not just to drive traffic; it's to complete that journey all the way down to the checkout. –Loren Baker, 26:08
What we're seeing is a shift in focus. Last year, people were going back to basics and focusing on technical SEO. This year, we're seeing a greater emphasis on understanding audience intent and traffic quality, not just raw numbers, but what this traffic means. –Ben Steele, 22:22
People are no longer convinced by the promise of getting you to page one for any term you want because the question becomes, 'Page one for what? For something that nobody searches for?' –Ben Steele, 38:03
For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal
Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.
Connect with Ben Steele:
Ben Steele, the Senior Editor at SEJ, boasts profound expertise in digital content. Though he didn't initially aim to become an SEO strategist, the skills he acquired for his role, combined with his self-initiated research into digital marketing, unveiled his genuine passion in this field.
His experien...
Using data gathered from 3,890 SEO professionals for our annual State of SEO report, we're ready to give you new insights on the disruptive factors in the industry. From the rise of generative AI to shifting content trends, there are many opportunities to use these new disruptions to your advantage and stay ahead in such a competitive time.
Ben Steele, senior editor at Search Engine Journal, joined me on this SEJ Show to break down the three significant disruptions in the SEO world and the opportunities they present. We examined the process behind implementing generative AI and what AI might look like next year.
Get tactics for communicating your SEO value, tips on new ways to cultivate your audience, and new content creation strategies for facing changing trends.
People noted that generative AI would be the biggest disruptor. However, respondents are largely positive; they feel optimistic about the impact of generative AI and its potential to affect their business's bottom line. I think there's an interesting duality to note there. It's disrupting many things, but people are still excited about it. –Ben Steele, 04:33
You bring up a great point about adapting focus. The industry is incredibly dynamic. With the acceleration of AI, changes in search engine algorithms, and evolving user behavior, SEO professionals need to be agile. They have to reassess and adapt their metric priorities in real time to ensure they're capturing the most relevant data, which translates to business value. That could be the reason we had to revisit the metrics we included in this year's survey. –Ben Steele, 20:29
While I can't predict the future with absolute certainty, what's clear is that the traditional role of an SEO professional is already transforming. SEO is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. It's no longer just about optimizing for search engines; it's about optimizing for user experience, understanding data analytics, and even having some proficiency with AI and machine learning models. –Ben Steele, 21:15
[00:00] - About Ben.
[03:57] - Top disruptors in SEO.
[04:33] - Has generative AI affected search yet?
[07:07] - User behavior toward new technology: voice search example.
[10:46] - Freelancers moving to permanent positions.
[12:15] - Impact of layoffs in tech companies.
[16:34] - Priority metrics for SEO professionals.
[18:05] - Agency vs. in-house SEO communication struggles.
[22:20] - Importance of click-through rate as a metric.
[27:25] - SEO's role in ecommerce and Google Shopping.
[28:53] - Content's role in SEO.
[29:37] - Top barriers to SEO success.
[30:57] - Communication barriers in SEO.
[32:31] - Frequency of Google updates.
[34:01] - Changes in Google SERPs.
[34:36] - Major takeaways in the SEO report.
[36:46] - Navigating SEO algorithm changes.
[38:03] - Communicating SEO value.
Resources mentioned:
State of SEO 2024 - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-of-seo/
An SEO's job is not just to drive traffic; it's to complete that journey all the way down to the checkout. –Loren Baker, 26:08
What we're seeing is a shift in focus. Last year, people were going back to basics and focusing on technical SEO. This year, we're seeing a greater emphasis on understanding audience intent and traffic quality, not just raw numbers, but what this traffic means. –Ben Steele, 22:22
People are no longer convinced by the promise of getting you to page one for any term you want because the question becomes, 'Page one for what? For something that nobody searches for?' –Ben Steele, 38:03
For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal
Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.
Connect with Ben Steele:
Ben Steele, the Senior Editor at SEJ, boasts profound expertise in digital content. Though he didn't initially aim to become an SEO strategist, the skills he acquired for his role, combined with his self-initiated research into digital marketing, unveiled his genuine passion in this field.
His experien...
Previous Episode
How To Use Multilingual Localization To Extend Your Reach with Naoko Takano - EP319
Have you wondered how to expand your business' reach across different languages and cultures? Do you know what role multilingual and localized content can play in your business?
Naoko Takano, Localization and Community Program Manager for WordPress, joined me on the SEJShow to explore the significance of localization and internationalization in WordPress’ mission.
Naoko has been involved with WordPress localization since its infancy and has seen firsthand how multilingual localization has built larger communities around businesses.
Learn the power of multilingual content and what it means for effectively broadening your reach online. Discover tips and opportunities for your business to collaborate across different cultures and how to leverage this power to improve your ROI.
WordPress, being an open-source solution from WordPress.org, your mission is to empower the publisher. –Loren Baker, 06:45
One of the advantages WordPress has is that we have so many different types of languages, and it's possible to add more languages as long as there are translators. –Naoko Takano, 13:49
The mission of WordPress is democratizing publishing. Our mission is to reach all the people using the internet and want to publish, not only in English-speaking countries. So yes, we want to expand beyond. –Naoko Takano, 23:28
[00:23] - About Naoko.
[02:18] - WordPress localization and global growth.
[06:45] - Open source as WordPress.org's growth driver.
[08:49] - The role of translation in WordPress business expansion.
[10:58] - Volunteer-driven operations at WordPress.org.
[12:55] - WordPress plugins vs. enterprise CMS for expanding businesses.
[13:49] - WordPress' multilingual capabilities.
[14:55] - Anticipation of multilingual support in WordPress core software.
[16:07] - Balancing WordPress' multilingual offerings with business interests.
[16:54] - Gutenberg's fourth phase: Multilingual support?
[17:07] - Adapting translation plugins for WordPress' block editor.
[19:54] - WordPress' growth in the Spanish market.
[21:52] - The most active countries in WordCamps events.
[23:12] - The impact of translation on WordPress.org's international usage.
[24:42] - Democratization through cultural collaboration in WordPress.
[26:12] - Localization in WordPress: More than translation.
[30:15] - The future of multilingual WordPress.
[32:48] - The international WordPress community's size.
[34:07] - Site translation and localization for various audiences.
[36:24] - Connecting with the WordPress community online.
Resources Mentioned: https://wordpress.org/
I would like to see a more technology-assisted way for us to read and reach the audience in different parts of the world. That helps us find more engaging content and allows the content provider to reach further than the limitation of their language area. –Naoko Takano, 30:55
We benefit as a community by using the version we are familiar with and providing that to the client. The backend is also translated, which helps people make the plugins usable without the language barrier. –Naoko Takano, 08:49
We, the translation community, always say over 20,000 active people have been translating something within a year or so.–Naoko Takano, 32:52
For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal
Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to enhance your knowledge and skills in search marketing.
Connect With Naoko Takano:
Naoko Takano is the Localization & Community Program Manager at Automattic with over ten years of experience in the US. She specializes in software localization and English-Japanese translation and applies her expertise to WordPress support, technical writing, and community organization.
A full-time contributor to the WordPress Polyglots and Community Teams for almost two decades, Naoko works as a Polyglots Global Mentor and General Translation Editor (GTE) for Japanese, aiding translation contributors and enhancing WordPress accessibility across different languages.
Connect with Naoko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naoko/
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/naokomc
Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:
Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.li...
Next Episode
Effective Website Redesigns: How To Avoid Costly Mistakes with Janet Mesh - EP 321
Effective Website Redesigns: How To Avoid Costly Mistakes
With Janet Mesh of Aimtal
Website redesigns are a necessary component for marketers. But with so many elements going into an effective redesign, do you know what to focus on to develop a solid plan from the start?
Join us and hear from Janet Mesh, CEO and co-founder of Aimtal, as she and Loren Baker, our founder and host, break down the ways to effectively launch a website redesign using Webflow and HubSpot, and the factors you need to focus on when redesigning. You’ll get tips on honing in on your site’s infrastructure using Janet’s “do no harm” strategy, to ensure that you have a clear infrastructure plan from the beginning.
If you're looking to make your next redesign efficient and effective, you won't want to miss these tips.
Resources:
Connect with Janet Mesh, CEO and Co-Founder of Aimtal:
Janet Mesh is the CEO + Co-Founder of Aimtal, a fully remote integrated marketing & consulting agency for B2B tech companies like Cisco, Atlassian, Trello, and Prisma Cloud. She is a remote work advocate who, in the past 5 years, has built and run a team of marketers located in 6 time zones all over the world.
Janet has doubled the size and revenue of her agency year-over-year since its inception in 2018 and Aimtal won the Sprout Social ‘Always Be Growing’ award in 2022 in recognition of this growth. Her passion for integrated marketing with an agile approach is the key to her success, and has led to over a million dollars in sales for her clients in the last year.
Outside of work, you can find Janet trying new restaurants around the world, reading historical fiction novels, and hosting happy hours at home for family & friends.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimtal_co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimtalco/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aimtal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aimtal_co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aimtal/
Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:
Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker
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