The StepForth Web Marketing Blog
Informing on SEO, SEM, and PPC since 2001SEO 101 Episode 483 – A Major Acquisition, Bing and Google Accused of Stealing Recipe Content
In this episode, we discuss SEMRush's acquisition of Third Door Media, including Search Engine Land. We explore the pending uproar around Google and Bing using recipes without permission, the removal of key fields from Google Business Profiles, and insights from...
SEO 101 Episode 482 – Impact of Google’s Breakup Talks and Interstitials on SEO
In this episode of SEO 101, we analyze the Department of Justice's discussions on breaking up Google and what it could mean for SEO. We also examine a case study that highlights the severe negative impact of interstitials on organic traffic and keyword rankings, along...
SEO 101 Ep 455: Chapter 2 of the SEO 101 Learning Series
Unlock the fundamentals of SEO planning in this episode! Discover market insights, keyword strategies with SEMRush, competitor analysis, setting realistic goals, effective social media planning, and essential tool setups. Lay the groundwork for SEO success as we...
SEO 101 Ep 454 – Chapter 1 of The SEO 101 Learning Series
This episode is Chapter 1 of a multiple episode series for learning SEO fundamentals. In this chapter Ross and Scott discuss the Beginning of SEO with a focus on the absolute basics of search engines and their growth to now. The topics discussed include what SEO is,...
SEO 101 Ep 453 – SEO Updates, Google Changes, WordPress 6.3, and Review Strategies
In this episode of the SEO 101 Podcast, we discuss an anticipated Google algorithm update, Danny Sullivan's views on AI-generated content, and the diminishing link reports in Google Search Console. We also cover Google's bug fix in News indexing, the discontinuation...
SEO 101 Ep 452 – Google Updates, AI Reviews & SEO Essentials
Join us in this SEO 101 Podcast episode as we explored the latest Google updates, AI-generated reviews, critical vulnerabilities, and essential SEO tips. Stay informed on search engine developments and optimize your online presence with key insights and expert advice....
SEO 101 Ep 451 – Bing Compares Sizes, Local Landing Page Tips, and Schema with AI
Bing went there and compared AI sizes with Google. After some snickering, Ross and Scott discuss the new changes to dot AI as a top level domain vs a country code domain, Google’s mobile first indexing, and how to use ChatGPT for schema markup creation. Noteworthy...
SEO 101 Ep 450 – Google Bugs, Why Blogs Rock, and More Algorithmic News
Google has had a few bugs as of late that are discussed here, along with some valuable anecdotes about existing client SEO issues that you should avoid, the vast importance of blogs and why, and much more. Noteworthy links from this episode: Google Search bug caused a...
SEO 101 Ep 449: AI quits Google, Google UA Historical Data, Google Search Ranking, April 2023 Updates, and More
Ross and Scott discuss AI pioneer quitting Google to warn about the technology’s danger, the use of historical data to evaluate search quality, and more Google updates. Noteworthy links from this episode: Google Market Share AI pioneer quits Google to warn about the...
SEO 101 Ep 448 – Project Magi, the Product Review Update, and More Bing
April’s latest and significant Google product review update is discussed along with the announcement that Google is building a new search engine codenamed Project Magi.The hosts discuss the recent changes to the search landscape… most notably that Bing is in the news...
SEO 101 Ep 447: Ranking Updates, Snippet Mistakes, Google Bard, and More
Another broad core update is unleashed, improvements to the Search Status Dashboard, a tip for video SEO that you don't want to miss, and more insights into the good and bad of AI for SEO. Noteworthy links from this episode: Google Sunsetting Google Glass Google...
SEO 101 Ep 446 – ChatGPT for Keyword Research, Google Product Reviews Update & More
More information continues to be revealed about Google’s Product Review Update. Ross and Scott review more about ChatGPT and SEO, plus a local SEO tip, and more thoughts from Google’s John Mueller. Noteworthy links from this episode: Elementor WordPress Contact...
SEO 101 Ep 445 – Bing AI and Bard Plus Google will Help with Analytics 4 but Don’t Rely on That
Google says they will automatically set up Google Analytics 4 for anyone who hasn’t done so, but it comes with serious caveats you must be aware of. Also, AI chat is all over the news right now; for a good reason, it is changing how we work! Ross and Scott discuss the...
SEO 101 Ep 444 Google’s Many Latest Updates and the Impact on AI Content
Scott and Ross discuss the long running round of Google algorithmic updates and their respective (but significant) impact on search results. They discuss the impact of the helpful content update on AI written content and finish off the episode with the answer to an...
Google’s “People Also Ask” Suggests Buying Reviews
Google does an admirable job of providing a variety of search result data by injecting images, video, and related questions that "People also ask". Unfortunately, Google's algorithms are only so good and mistakes are made. The following mistake (highlighting added for...
Apple Business Connect: A Rival of Google Business Profile
Apple introduced Business Connect on January 11, 2023. It’s an improved version of Apple Maps Connect released in October 2014 and a free tool allowing small and large businesses to customize the information that appears across Apple apps. Images Source: Apple Let’s...
SEO 101 Ep 443 New Google Search Status Dashboard, December Google Helpful Content Update, Link Spam Update, and More.
The hosts started the show by reminiscing on the beginning of Search Engine Land, which is now celebrating its 16th birthday. Next up, was the New Google Search Status Dashboard which reports widespread issues for site owners. Other topics discussed include the latest...
SEO 101 Ep 442 Impact of Backlinks on Ranking, Duplicated Website Content, AI-altered Plagiarized Content, and More.
The hosts started the show by discussing the lawsuit Google filed against a company promising Page 1 rankings. Other topics discussed include duplicate website content, the impact of backlinks on ranking, Google algorithms to detect & demote AI-altered plagiarized...