In this episode of the Earned Media Podcast, I sit down with Barry Adams, an SEO consultant from Polemic Digital, to discuss news SEO for publishers.



We explore Barry’s journey from a webmaster to an SEO specialist for news websites, and he shares invaluable insights into the unique challenges and strategies involved in optimizing news content for Google. Barry explains the intricacies of Google’s news ecosystem, the importance of structured data, and how news publishers can stay ahead in editorial content marketing, blogging, and digital news publishing.



We also discuss the recent Google search algorithm leak, the impact of AI on news publishing, and the delicate balance between ad revenue and user experience on news websites. Barry provides practical advice for news publishers on building direct audience loyalty and minimizing reliance on intermediaries like Google and social media platforms.



Timeline Summary



0:23 - Barry’s journey from webmaster to news SEO specialist.



1:13 - What is news SEO, and how does it differ from e-commerce, local, and B2B SEO?



2:03 - Google’s Top Stories and the fast-paced nature of news ranking.



3:46 - Challenges of getting news content indexed quickly.



5:40 - The role of social media in breaking news and its impact on news SEO.



7:14 - The competition among news publishers to rank in Top Stories.



9:22 - Why Google may not be the best source for the latest breaking news.



12:25 - The significance of Google Discover versus Top Stories for news traffic.



14:57 - Discussion on the Google search algorithm leak and its implications.



19:16 - Key takeaways from the leaked Google data.



23:24 - The impact of paywalls and ads on news SEO and engagement.



27:58 - How generative AI is changing the landscape of news publishing.



31:30 - Google’s introduction of AI overviews in search results and their potential impact.



38:37- The importance of building direct audience loyalty for news publishers.



40:56 - Final thoughts on Google’s capabilities and the future of SEO.



Links & Resources



• Polemic Digital



• Belfast Telegraph



• Google News



• Google Discover



• New York Times



• Perplexity AI



Closing Remarks



Thank you for tuning in to this insightful episode with Barry Adams. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate, follow, share, and review our podcast.



Your support helps us bring you more expert insights and in-depth discussions.



Stay connected with us for more episodes that keep you ahead in the dynamic world of SEO consulting.

Ecommerce SEO consultant Aleyda Solis discusses what's up in ecommerce SEO since Google launched AI Overviews, in this episode of the Earned Media Podcast.



As e-commerce SEOs work generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing, and Perplexity into their workflows, e-commerce SEO experts and online retailers are grappling with Google’s attempts to leverage generative for search results.



Solis shares practical strategies to maximize opportunities and navigate the e-commerce SEO challenges posed by these transformations.



Ecommerce SEO: Google’s Integration of Transactional Functionalities



(1:15) Solis highlights Google’s increasing integration of transactional functionalities within search results. For highly commercial keywords, like “black sneakers for men,” Google displays direct shopping options and detailed product information right there in the SERP. This shift reduces click-through rates (CTR) and the available space for traditional organic search results, positioning Google more as a competitor in the ecommerce space, than a simple search engine.



(2:45) Google’s Shopping Graph, which includes over 40 billion products, is a driving force behind this change. Solis explains that the integration with Merchant Center feeds is crucial for retailers. Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce facilitate the creation and management of these feeds, enhancing ecommerce sites’ presence in Google’s shopping features.



The Importance of Structured Data in Ecommerce SEO



(5:20) Structured data is vital to product visibility in search results. Solis advises retailers to leverage search schema in e-commerce SEO to highlight key product variants like price, availability, and reviews. Tools like WooCommerce and various plugins make it easier to create and optimize these feeds. Properly implemented structured data ensures that products appear prominently in search results, but to drive traffic and conversions, you need to be price competitive because Google displays competing online retailers selling the same product in SERPs now.



Preparing for Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) in Ecommerce SEO



(7:50) Solis speculates on the potential impact of Google AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE, although Google says they're different products), which could streamline the search process by providing users with direct access to product details. This feature integrates Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM) to generate search results in a more graphically elegant, scannable way, with links to sources. This underscores the need for retailers to focus on enhancing their schema product feeds and structured data to maintain visibility.



Optimizing Product Detail Pages (PDPs) for Ecommerce SEO



(10:05) Optimizing Product Detail Pages (PDPs) is not just about on-page SEO but also user engagement and conversion, as the Google leak may confirm. Solis emphasizes the importance of high-quality images, detailed product descriptions, and incorporating user reviews and expert insights. Many retailers overlook the potential of PDPs to drive traffic and conversions, missing significant opportunities in the process.



Ecommerce SEO and the Role of Merchant Center Feeds



(12:30) Solis delves deeper into the importance of Merchant Center feeds and Google’s Shopping Graph. She explains that the Shopping Graph, which now includes over 40 billion products, is crucial for ecommerce SEO. The integration with Merchant Center feeds ensures that products are accurately represented in Google’s shopping features, enhancing their visibility and appeal to potential customers. Platforms like Shopify, Wix,

Google algorithm secrets are rarely leaked.



But in this special episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Mike King – who runs SEO consulting services provider iPullRank – discusses the future of SEO in the age of AI.



This podcast is being released just days after Mike’s bombshell blog post, which is taking the SEO world by storm, revealing explosive insights from leaked internal Google documentation.



This is an exclusive opportunity to hear Mike directly share his expertise and predictions about how AI will impact the evolving landscape of search and what SEO consultants need to do to stay competitive.



Google Algorithm Secrets Revealed



Inside Google’s Algorithm



Mike King discusses the inner workings of Google’s ranking systems and the factors that influence search results, based on his extensive research and analysis.



Google’s Deceptive Practices



Discover how Google has misled the SEO community about key ranking factors and the real role of domain authority, click data, and more.



The Impact of AI on Search



Learn how AI is reshaping the landscape of search and what it means for your SEO strategy. Mike delves into the implications of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and other AI-driven changes.



Actionable SEO Insights



Mike provides practical advice on how to optimize for the new realities of search, including the importance of authoritative content, user engagement, and adapting to AI advancements.



Podcast Episode Highlights



Truth About Click Data



Contrary to Google’s public statements, click data plays a significant role in rankings. Mike King explains how this impacts your SEO efforts.



Importance of Writing with an Authoritative Voice



Learn why creating high-quality, authoritative content is more crucial than ever in the age of AI.



Actionable SEO Strategies



Get practical tips on how to optimize your site for AI-driven search engines and stay ahead of the competition.



Key SEO Discussion Points:



Fragmentation of Search



The increasing diversity of search platforms and why it’s crucial to optimize for more than just Google.



AI and Verification



The role of AI in search and the necessity for users to verify information through trusted sources like Google.



Google’s Core Updates



How recent updates are addressing AI content and the ongoing battle against spam.



Optimizing for Language Models



Best practices for ranking in AI-driven search environments, based on Mike’s latest research.



About Mike King



Mike King is the CEO and founder of iPullRank, a leading digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and content strategy. His recent post has ignited a heated discussion about the future of search, and now he’s here to share his expert insights.



Tune in and learn:



• A deeper understanding of the future of search and SEO.



• Practical tips for leveraging AI in your search strategy.



• Insights directly from this thought leader behind the first comprehensive analysis of the internal documents leak from Google Search.

Google has a spam problem. They’re clogging up the internet with keyword-stuffed crap, making it tougher and more expensive for Google to separate the signal from the noise. Crawling the web is expensive, so crawling crap is flushing money down the drain. Google must embrace AI or risk obsolescence. But it also must defend its search rankings from generative-AI abuse. So, the company is adding generative AI capabilities to services like Gmail and Google Docs to eliminate our need to write manually while attempting to filter the very same content from its search results.

Kasim Aslam is the CEO of Solutions 8. He is a widely recognized thought leader in the search marketing arena, due to his exceptional track record of delivering exceptional PPC results and driving business growth through innovative marketing strategies. Sol8 manages $70M a year in PPC ad spending for roughly 200 clients of all sizes, from publicly traded brands to startups.



Throughout his career, Kasim has demonstrated a unique ability to understand the ever-evolving search marketing landscape and leverage his insights into the Google ecosystem to drive high-impact paid media marketing initiatives that achieve high multiple returns on ad spend. He is also the host of the Perpetual Traffic Podcast.



We met at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin last year, where he delivered the opening marketing keynote address.



Google Advertising Trends Covered




Which types of products and services are easiest to sell through PPC advertising



Which product and service categories are most profitable online right now



How much it costs to hire a top Google ad agency to run your PPC campaigns



How he decides what companies to accept in his incubator program



How to create PPC ads that convert and drive qualified traffic



The role of AI in PPC advertising and the switch to Performance Max campaigns



And much, much more




About the Podcaster



Eric Schwartzman is managing director of Schwartzman & Associates, a Los Angeles-based website marketing company. If you need to boost your website's organic traffic through effective SEO strategies, my team of seasoned SEO consultants is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes achieve remarkable online visibility and increased web traffic. With a proven track record of success, we offer a comprehensive suite of SEO consulting services tailored to your unique needs and goals.



Schwartzman & Associates SEO Consulting Difference




Access to a wealth of SEO expertise that can propel your website to new heights.



Meticulous keyword research, identifying the most relevant and high-impact keywords in your industry.



On-page optimization techniques will fine-tune your website's content, ensuring that it ranks prominently in search engine results pages (SERPs).



Technical SEO audits and enhancements will enhance your website's overall performance and user experience, contributing to improved search engine rankings.



Content that resonates with your target audience, driving not just traffic, but also engagement and conversions.



Compelling, keyword-rich content that not only meets the stringent demands of search engines but also captivates and informs your visitors.



Higher conversion rates and, ultimately, increased revenue for your business.



Our data-driven approach ensures that your SEO strategy evolves with the ever-changing digital landscape, keeping you ahead of the competition.




Harness the power of SEO to drive organic traffic and grow your online presence, contacting Schwartzman & Associates is the first step towards achieving your goals. Our expertise, dedication, and results-oriented approach make us the ideal partner to guide your website to the top of the search results, ensuring that your business thrives in the digital age. Don't hesitate to reach out to us for a consultation and discover how we can transform your online presence through strategic SEO consulting services.

In this Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for Brands episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Anna Gita, CEO of MaxWeb, one of the fastest-growing affiliate networks, explains what affiliate programs are and how they work.



I heard Anna’s keynote at The Berlin Meet Market. She spoke about the future of the affiliate marketing industry, and I was so taken by her message that I immediately invited her to be a guest on the show. Search engine optimization consultants may also want to check out my recent podcast with former Google Search Quality engineer Fili Wiese about Google's search quality guidelines. I met him in Berlin, too.



The rest of this post is not so much an overview of my conversation with Anna, but rather an Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for success that you can use to better understand the process, informed by her presentation. What follows are answers to frequently asked questions about affiliate marketing.



What’s the difference between Affiliate Marketing and Referral Marketing?



Anna Gita, CEO Max Web, delivering her keynote at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin.



While affiliate marketing and referral marketing are performance-based marketing channels, affiliate marketers earn commissions for promoting products through tracking links, while referral marketers do not. Referral marketing is acquiring links from editorial content and influencers on social media.



Affiliate marketers earn money in two ways. First, they earn commissions for sending traffic to an advertiser’s landing or offer page as long as the Earnings Per Click (EPC) exceeds the Cost Per Click (CPC). Second, they earn a Payout or commission if the traffic they send converts into a sale. Affiliate commissions are typically between 5-30%.



On the other hand, referral marketing is word-of-mouth marketing that relies on digital PR, branded content, or individuals recommending a product or service to their friends and family. Google Analytics defines referral traffic as the segment of traffic that arrives on a website through another source, such as a link on another domain.



Referral links can be acquired through press release distribution, media releases, product sampling, and other marketing tactics.



The main difference between affiliate and referral marketing is that affiliate marketing is focused on promoting products and services to earn commissions, while referral marketing is the collection of inbound links through unpaid activities.



How do I hire an affiliate marketer?



There are four main ways advertisers tend to source and hire affiliate marketers:




Join an affiliate network like MaxWeb: Affiliate networks are online marketplaces that connect merchants with affiliates. You can sign up as an advertiser and search for affiliate marketers interested in promoting your products.



Use a recruitment agency: Some agencies specialize in recruiting affiliates for advertisers, almost like hybrid employment/talent agencies. You can work with one of these agencies to find affiliates who fit your business well.



Attend industry events: Industry events, such as conferences and trade shows like Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas, Jan. 23-25, 2023, are great places to meet affiliates and build relationships with them. It is also a good idea to approach keynote speakers and podcasters who focus on affiliate marketing because they may be able to help or make suggestions.



Connect directly with affiliate marketers: If you know of specific affiliate marketers you think might be a good fit for your brand, create your affiliate program and contact them directly.

Think again if you think wine marketing agencies are all about social media marketing. While winery marketing for ecommerce may involve Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest, it's content marketing, search engine optimization, and backlinks that attract new customers and drive online conversions.



Contrary to popular belief, PPC and influencer marketing are more effective than social media.



Let's face it: someone searching for wine is much more likely to be a buyer than someone perusing their social media newsfeed. When it comes to digital marketing for fine wineries, organic social media marketing is much less targeted.



Integrated Marketing for a Small Winery



Halleck Vineyard, a boutique winery nestled in the picturesque Sonoma County, embarked on a digital transformation journey nearly three years ago under the guidance of marketing expert Eric Schwartzman. This case study explores the strategic initiatives that propelled the winery from a traditional business model into a digital powerhouse, significantly enhancing its online presence and sales channels.



Winery's Background



Founded by Jennifer and Ross Halleck, Halleck Vineyard is situated in the Sebastopol region of Sonoma County, an area not widely recognized for wine when they first planted their vineyard. Despite the vineyard's initial intent to serve as a college fund, their venture into winemaking, catalyzed by a chance meeting with winemaker Greg LaFollette, led to their first wine winning first place at a prestigious San Francisco Pinot Noir shootout. This accolade was a testament to the vineyard's potential in producing luxury wines, defined by their commitment to quality over quantity.



Winemarker's Challenges



Halleck Vineyard faced the daunting task of distinguishing itself within the saturated wine industry, where mammoth wineries dominate the market with massive advertising budgets and extensive distribution networks. Additionally, the pandemic introduced new hurdles, compelling the vineyard to pivot its traditionally offline sales channels to ecommerce almost overnight.



Schwartzman & Associates Integrated Marketing Campaign



Winery Website and E-Commerce Enhancement



Under Schwartzman's guidance, Halleck Vineyard revitalized its digital footprint, starting with a comprehensive overhaul of their website. The focus was on optimizing the site for SEO, improving user experience, and integrating ecommerce functionalities to facilitate direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.



Content Marketing and Social Media



The introduction of a WordPress site enabled the vineyard to engage in content marketing, significantly boosting their SEO rankings for competitive keywords like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This strategic move helped the vineyard outperform larger competitors in search engine results. Additionally, social media platforms were leveraged to share engaging content and connect with a broader audience.



Vineyard Virtual Tastings and Community Building



Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halleck Vineyard swiftly transitioned to offering virtual wine tastings, a move that garnered attention from major corporations and media outlets. This innovative approach not only sustained their business through the pandemic but also expanded their customer base and strengthened community ties.



Data-Driven Decision Making



The vineyard adopted a data-centric approach, utilizing website analytics and customer feedback to continuously refine their digital strategies. This focus on data helped tailor their marketing efforts to attract t...

SEO for news websites is critical to audience development. If your news can't get found, it can't generate advertiser impressions, leads, revenue, or make a difference.



This post is a summary of a podcast interview I recorded with ESPN.com director of SEO Louisa Frahm about best practices when it comes to SEO for headlines, how to build an effective program to prove the value of SEO to hardnosed journalists, and what she’s learned about creating resources to support SEO for journalists.



Louisa has a long history leading SEO for news websites. Before she joined ESPN.com, she was director of SEO at the Los Angeles Times, so she has experience in SEO for newspapers as well, so she also has experience in online newsroom best practices.



Elevating News Visibility with SEO Strategies



Search engine optimization for news websites is the art and science of creating online news coverage that can be easily found through Google News and Google organic search. Given that 86% of Americans get their news online, learning to cover the news in way that not only informs readers, but also grows audiences and drives sustainable traffic from search engines has become a crucial skill that journalists must perform.



I started doing SEO for news websites in 2002 when I founded iPressroom, the first online newsroom management service. I sold the company in 2011 and remain a shareholder. Today, I lead an SEO consultancy in Los Angeles SEO with extensive experience designing, building, managing, and search-optimizing online news sites. We get news sites indexed by Google News, train reporters on SEO, and help content marketers create and manage credible online newsrooms with content marketing value.



SEO for News Sites



According to Similarweb, ESPN.com is the 83rd highest-traffic website on the internet, with nearly 580 million unique visitors a month who average 3.6 pages per visit and spend almost nine and a half minutes per session.  They know how to sustain their visitors' attention.



Over 70% of the traffic on the ESPN.com news website is direct, and 21% of that traffic comes from organic search. After that is traffic is from social media at less than 4%, then email at over 3%. 



Surprising SEO Athlete Rankings at ESPN



Interestingly enough, the top athlete names that are getting the most search results in organic traffic at ESPN.com are the tennis player Andy Murray first, followed by the combat fighter Connor McGregor, then combat fighter Patty Gimblett, and tennis player Rafael Nadal, which is curious because soccer or baseball or basketball or football are more prominent sports. Louisa explains why that is in this post about SEO for News Sites.















SEO for Journalists



When Louisa started working with her analysts at ESPN to help reporters execute Google News search engine optimization best practices, her objective was to make sure that every single team and every single sport was equally prioritized within her department’s workflow. 



Her team leads SEO training programs for journalists, essentially teaching writers the right formula for news article SEO, including keywords that drive organic traffic, and write headlines most likely to rank high in Google News. Reporters rely on her department's guidance, metrics, and analytics. 



Her SEO team ESPN.com helps journalists sort through the various aspects of each of the four types of SEO:




On-Page SEO (On-Site SEO): The search engine optimization strategies implemented directly on a news website's own pages.

Fili Wiese is a former Google Search Engineer and member of the search quality team. I spoke to him after his marketing keynote at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin.



Tech SEO Topics Covered:




Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Ecommerce Marketing: In the realm of SEO for ecommerce marketing, organic search plays a pivotal role in ensuring your online store ranks well on search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves optimizing product descriptions, meta tags, and site structure to make your products more discoverable. Effective SEO practices can significantly boost your online sales and brand visibility.



Guiding Googlebot for Efficient Crawling: One of the fundamental aspects of SEO is instructing Googlebot, Google's web crawler, on what parts of your website to crawl and what to exclude. This includes using the robots.txt file and meta tags like "noindex" and "nofollow" to influence Googlebot's behavior, ensuring that it indexes the most valuable pages of your site.



Managing Your Crawl Budget: Google allocates a limited crawl budget to each website, which determines how frequently it will visit and index your pages. Managing this budget efficiently is essential for ensuring that your most important and updated content is regularly crawled, maximizing your search visibility.



Preserving Backlink Authority: Backlinks from authoritative websites are valuable for SEO. Understanding how to retain and build upon this backlink authority is crucial. Strategies include monitoring the quality of backlinks, disavowing harmful ones, and creating high-quality content that naturally attracts backlinks.



Analyzing Google Search Console Error Reports: Google Search Console provides valuable insights into your website's health and performance. Learning how to interpret and address the error reports in Google Search Console can help you identify and rectify issues that may hinder your site's visibility and rankings.



Significance of Breadcrumbs and Structured Data: Breadcrumbs and structured data provide valuable context to both users and search engines. Implementing breadcrumbs in your site's navigation aids user experience and helps Google understand the hierarchy of your content. Structured data, in the form of schema markup, enhances how search engines display your content, potentially leading to rich snippets and improved click-through rates.



Earning Google's Trust in Canonical Links: Canonical links help prevent duplicate content issues and consolidate ranking signals. Gaining Google's trust in your canonical link recommendations involves correctly implementing canonical tags, ensuring consistency, and regularly monitoring their effectiveness in managing content variations.



Comprehensive SEO Insights and Strategies: These are just a few examples of what's covered in the field of SEO for ecommerce marketing. There's a wealth of knowledge and strategies available to optimize your online store's visibility, reach, and conversion rates. Whether it's keyword research, on-page optimization, or mobile SEO, a holistic approach to SEO is essential for ecommerce success.




Next up is an exclusive interview with ESPN SEO Director Louisa Frahm, so subscribe here. And don't miss the Affiliate Marketing Roadmap episode I recorded with MaxWeb CEO Anna Gita.

I did not write anything below the subhead in this blog post about content marketing agency outsourcing.



The author is Jason Joseph, who writes for a service you can outsource writing to called Verblio, a service that ecommerce and B2B content marketing agencies outsource to. If you're wondering whether or not Verblio is legit, this podcast and the post below are a live test of their service.



Verblio VP Product Marketing Laura Smous



If you're looking for ways to scale your editorial marketing practice to meet your clients' needs, outsourcing to quality freelance writers is probably an ongoing pain point for you.



I like writing. But there's only one of me. So I can't realistically deliver the editorial packages my clients need without help. I use most of the online writer marketplaces fairly regularly. I've written about WriterAccess and ContentGrow in other posts. But Verblio was a new one I hadn't tried.



So after several months of testing the service, I invited Verblio's VP of Product Marketing Laura Smous, to be a guest on the Earned Media Podcast. I pulled a transcript of our interview and outsourced this blog post through their service with one caveat. Laura connected me with one of their customer success reps to ensure one of their best writers got this job.



Unlike the other online writer marketplaces, you can't select the writer you want to use on Verblio. Instead, you post the job with a brief, and someone writes the article on spec. And you don't have to buy it if you don't like it. So if you want to get a sense of their top level of service, listen to my interview with Laura and come back and read this post by Jason Joseph.



Depending on your sector and objectives, Verblio may or may not be suitable for you. But the entirely unedited post – with uncorrected mistakes – from Verblio started here and was delivered with the headline...



A Complete Guide to Using Verblio for Content Marketing



A content marketing strategy uses content creation to provide the audience with value. Organizations use emails, blogs, and videos to share content with customers and establish credibility. According to the Content Marketing Institute, the content marketing market will have a year-to-year growth rate of 15.73% between 2021 and 2025.



However, creating content is one of the challenges most businesses face. As such, companies rely on third-party companies for content creation. One of the marketplaces that clients can use is Verblio. Here is everything you need to know about Verblio from the VP, Laura Smous.



What is Verblio?



 Verblio is a content creation marketplace that connects clients with experienced freelance writers. Content marketing is a cost-effective way to get leads and grow your business. On Verblio, you can connect to the right type of content and get what you need. The platform helps agencies to create high-performing content. Customers can order product descriptions, website content, and press releases. Even though the content marketing space is competitive, Verblio remains among the leading. But what differentiates Verblio from the other marketplace sites?



Why Choose Verblio?



Wide Variety of Writers



You may think there are numerous options, but choosing the right platform will help your organization's success. Verblio is always looking for ways to improve. The writers play a vital part in the Verblio marketplace. It seeks to create a suitable platform for writers and customers. Even though AI is fast gaining popularity in content creation, it will not replace human writers. Verblio strives to balance AI and human writer...

How do you create content that your prspective buyers and Google will find useful and rank accordingly in SERPs? As the expert in your field, one way is to draft creative content marketing that entertains, engages and educates your readers.



But what if you're too busy building your company, and you don;t have the budget to fire a digital content marketing agency?



The second-best option is to find other experts in your field, who are not competitors, to write the content for you. Freelance writers offer the expertise and skill to create editorial content that engages readers to stay on your website.



Challenge of finding freelance writers



The idea of finding people with proven writing ability with expertise in your business sounds appealing. The question looms: How do you find these people? Of course, you always can find people who write, bring them aboard your staff, and teach them the expertise. But that takes time and resources as you add staff with salaries and benefits.



Freelance writers serve as another option as they often specialize by field or region, and you only pay for what they produce. Many also carry the benefit of having established a following among those interested in your business.



You also must convince freelance writers that you are looking for reputable editorial content, not the SEO-generating content marketing that many companies offer. Freelance writers work off their reputations. They won't want to damage that by producing sales content.



How do you find these writers? Do you scour trade publications? Search reputable media sites? Throw an ad out on a job board such as Upwork? All are possibilities, but likely to be hit and miss. And who can afford to miss?



Novel approach of ContentGrow



Recently, I had the good fortune to discover a startup that connects companies with freelance writers all over the globe. I invited ContentGrow CEO Enricko Lukman to share some insights on a podcast.



ContentGrow features some 2,500 freelance journalists and writers, many based in East Asia and the United States, and has about 100 clients. Enricko and co-founder Leighton Cosseboom founded ContentGrow in 2015 after recognizing the difficulty companies had in connecting with qualified freelancers.



As freelance writers themselves, Enricko and Leighton initially worked within their network of freelance writers to create connections with their clients. As the company began to scale, they found the company's manual operation needed to automate to offer clients the best matches. They also find the need to continually grow their writer database as new clients demand new expertise. As an example, Enricko noted they recently had to search for freelance journalists working in South Africa.



Enricko was able to confirm my suspicion that companies that hired writers without expertise in their field ended up getting regurgitated material that only echoed the top writers in the field, rather than generating new content that adds to the conversation in the field. This type of content does not fool Google, nor does it engage interested customers.



It's no longer enough to publish good content. If you want to rank in slots 1 through 4 in a competitive market, you have to publish outstanding content to execute an effective growth marketing strategy.



Power of owned media marketing



If Enricko and I have piqued your interest in learning how owned media can generate more leads and sales for your business, consider enrolling in my Owned Media Pivot Program. In 12 weeks, we'll analyze and optimize your website,

If you're in the content marketing agency business and you've never heard of the Writer Access content marketing marketplace, this episode will help you generate more revenue for yourself and your clients.



This is an exclusive interview with Writer Access CEO Byron White, who built an online marketplace that connects content marketers with freelance writers. It has star ratings, recommendations, writer portfolios and an escrow service for holding and releasing funds. Plus, they vet all their writers.



In this episode, we talk about overcoming the two biggest challengers DTC and B2B content marketing agencies face. If you're a content marketing specialist, this conversation will be familiar and useful. If you're looking for a content marketing agency near me, this will make you a smarter buyer of content marketing services.



Content Marketing Agency Challenges




The Primary Challenge of Content Marketing: The initial hurdle in content marketing often revolves around the quest for proficient writers who can facilitate the expansion of a top-tier content marketing strategy. This strategy aims not just to compete but to dominate rivals by churning out substantial volumes of original content that embodies the essence of thought leadership.Entity & LSI Keywords: Content marketing, elite-level, content operation, thought leadership, original content, outranking competitors.



The Significance of Subject Matter Expertise in Content Creation: My second most prominent challenge in the realm of content marketing is sourcing writers who possess, or are willing to cultivate, the subject matter expertise necessary to craft informed, valuable content. This content serves the purpose of advancing the existing repository of online knowledge rather than merely reiterating common knowledge.Entity & LSI Keywords: Subject matter expertise, content creation, valuable content, online knowledge, thought leadership.



Retaining Visitors on Web Pages: Attracting visitors to a web page is a complex endeavor. However, once they land on our platform, we face the daunting task of retaining their attention within mere seconds. In scenarios where users, especially those employing browsers like Chrome, exit our webpage within the initial 10 seconds, it sends a signal to Google that our content did not fulfill their search intent.Entity & LSI Keywords: Web page, visitor retention, Chrome browser, Google search results, search intent, user engagement.



The Crucial Link Between Ranking and Search Intent: Mere ranking on search engine results is insufficient. The pivotal factor is our ability to align with and cater to the search intent of users. If we fail in this endeavor, maintaining our ranking becomes increasingly challenging as Google continuously assesses the relevance and satisfaction of user queries.Entity & LSI Keywords: Ranking, search intent, user queries, relevance, satisfaction, search results.




There’s nothing worse than going to a webpage and finding a bunch of useless B2B keyword stuffed content that’s been cribbed together from top ranking pages. So we can’t use articles about Stuff We All Know (S.W.A.K.). We’re looking to bring readers a unique point of view, not more of the same. Bring readers a unique point of view. It’s okay to be funny. But don’t be cliche. Be original, be informed and be gone.



In this podcast, you'll hear how content marketing consultants and agencies are scaling their written deliverables with Writer Access. And I also shared a case study that resulted in 225 percent revenue growth through an innovative ecommerce marketing program I led for a lifestyle brand.