Confessions of an SEO®

You know you're a nerd if you're like me and excited about this discovery of new SEO key performance indicators (KPIs) but these address some real-world issues for client SEOs. For too long we have absorbed all the weird stuff we have seen all the time to something wrong with what we're doing but in reality, we're seeing built-in conditions in search. To be able to have the language to describe an...

In this Episode I talk about the current SEO testing project that has sort of taken over my life - every day new content is published to a site for the purpose of finding out if Google is even indexing new content anymore. Plus there are two kinds of rendering possible on each page - simple html content and javascript. I have questions. Most SEO's are confounded by what they are seeing when they p...

This week's topic comes from a Search Engine Journal article by Amanda DeSilvestro https://www.searchenginejournal.com/hiring-local-seo-agency-questions/414522/ This is going to be in two parts - this one is in the beginning of the article where they advise what a business needs to do before seeking out SEO proposals. There are five suggestions and most are good but there is one that I think defie...

This week's topic is something we probably don't talk about a lot because it's not always an easy one. This comes from a listener. an independent SEO and  I took some time on this one because I think it’s far more common than we want to let on - questioning ourselves on how do we know if we’re a good SEO or not. And who has the right to tell us. And at the end there's an announcement about a...

There's a lot of slow Google lately. Slow in they aren't indexing new content as quickly as they used to and to "help" things along they have these weird messages in Google Search Console. There's a plug for the value of SEO testing but this is a shorter episode - I need to get used to Texas heat again! You can find me on Linkedin - Carolyn Holzman . American Way Media AmericanWayMedia.com Austin,...

In this episode - we are going to go over a proposal that was sent in by a listener.  I thought rather than JUST respond to them privately, this might be a terrific exercise in demonstrating how little equal understanding there is on both sides of "the farmers and the cowboys." I'm sure the recipient of this proposal believes they receive an SEO services proposal - because they told me as muc...

Something I haven’t done lately is updating you on some of the SEO projects I’m working on. So I’m just making a liar out of myself when I say you won’t find any SEO tactics in here. This one I would say you will find SEO principles. I share the very method used to choose a rank and sell niche - do not recommend it. And take you a little behind the scenes on the funny bumps in the road along the w...

In this episode, this is a new type of episode - a "Bits and Bobs" type of show - in here is a collection of four things too small to be a full episode but definitely somethings to discuss.  1. what is the ONE topic that constantly shows up in Voice SEO conversations every single time and has the potential to suppress Voice? 2. I had a new "Confession" to make. 3. Why isn't this an interview...

After about 6 months of developing the content for my upcoming Voice SEO course - I felt it was necessary to publish an update. Look for future updates on both what I'm doing and what the current limitations are for "Screenless Search" which is how I'm starting to refer to it as. Listeners will experience more of a breakdown of what exactly are we calling Voice SEO? Is it how we search? Is it how...

Search Engine Journal shared a week ago about a question posed to John Mueller which was basically - if Google’s machine learning is going to get so good at knowing what a page is about, will SEO become obsolete? https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-john-mueller-doesnt-see-seo-becoming-obsolete/412373/ I'm guessing the person who asked the question is either a business owner who might not k...

This episode is my take on what feels like "never-ending" series of updates in Google since March of 2020. Alright already.  In particular, I wanted to talk to business owners and C-level executives of a certain age who think they "know what SEO is" but have nothing on their site ranking for any value keyword that doesn't have their brand name in it.  Another question I have - How do we...

In this episode targeted towards business owners, I share my thoughts on how the shifting zones of relevance within Google remind me of when my dad retired a 2nd time as a VW auto mechanic and what he shared with me. Would I go into today's Google SEO if I was who and where I was 13 years ago with only rank trackers and site diagnostic software?  I really feel for those business owners who ar...

Don't you just love "pet peeves" - the things that drive you crazy? Me too. In this episode I reveal my TOP THREE pet peeves - something about content, domains and Google. It's not every day one can fit SEO and the Witches from Macbeth in the same content. What are YOUR pet peeves in SEO? Hope you enjoy it and feel free to send in any comments or feedback to confessions@AmericanWayMedia.com You ca...

In this episode I talk a little about how I got into Voice SEO and how the course is evolving. I even share a demo that if you have an Alexa or Google device you can talk to my website.  If you have an Alexa say "Alexa, launch American Way Media”" or for google "Hey Google, Talk to American Way Media" Hope you enjoy it and feel free to send in any comments or feedback to confessions@AmericanW...

Today I’d like to share some cool news and it's about what I have come to know as my SEO superpower. I mentioned it back in Episode 14 but today I have something to share. It's short. I'm on the road and wanted to make sure you knew, that I knew, that you knew these things are scheduled on every Friday at 8 am CST. UPDATE: Not only did I discover my super power - I turned it into something I can s...

If you're doing anything related to digital marketing you may be hearing a lot about Core Web Vitals - Google's new shiny tool that promised to be a ranking factor. How does this impact you as an SEO or web developer or a business owner? Get the full and straight skinny here without fear or favor or big long words! Hope you enjoy it and feel free to send in any comments or feedback to confessions@...

This episode is where I talk about how data brings peace of mind. If you know the rules are, and you know the rules change, and you know you're not going to be told that the rules change, then the real game is to be able to identify WHEN those rules change and to be able to do it faster than your competitors. Dec 15, 2019 is a memorable date for me - I explain why in the episode. It took until May...

I started planning out summer episodes - I had no idea that there were that many weeks in what we refer to as "summer". As I was doing it the thought occurred to me that sharing what questions come up from myself and others might be helpful for anyone else who is putting together their own podcast AND to explore more fully WHY this podcast is NOT interviews of other SEOs. Hope you enjoy it and fee...

This episode relates to Episode 19 and how we as SEO's need to accept the reality, that Google's ability to let us into the game is what we're fighting right now - the only way to play is to be able to get found, crawled, indexed and then rank. And it's not getting easier. This episode in this 2-part series on volatility is addressed to the SEO. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to send in any comme...

In this episode, I address the way Google stays silent when things are not working as planned, when they are having problems. And without authority in our ability as SEOs to call them as we see them with precision, then we invite confusion and stay ignorant. This is part of a 2-part series on volatility within the search results and how business owners can benefit from understanding that there are...

I'm Just A Girl Who CAN Say "No". But it's not always easy but it can be for the best. In this episode, I'm looking at the same Client offer but this time from the SEO side. If you want to catch up check out Episode 17 Hope you enjoy it and feel free to send in any comments or feedback to confessions@AmericanWayMedia.com You can find me on Linkedin - Carolyn Holzman . American Way Media AmericanWa...

This is one of the Facebook "mailbag" episodes where we discuss situational SEO - this originally was posted in an SEO Facebook group. While I think it is common for business owners who are used to employees to make the mistake that SEO is all about motivation. They leave out a vital component in their calculation. I devised a way for business owners to adjust their review process so that the...

As promised I said I would answer any incoming questions or respond to feedback from listeners. My goal is for this podcast to be a resource to an SEO and the businesses that they service. Might be the case. In this episode I respond to a question about how I might have structured a deal with my First SEO Client (Episode 5). And the reason I wanted to feature this question is that it parallels a c...

I think this is the most perplexing question for both for a business seeking to find some other business to work with and for those businesses that offer SEO.   Maybe not as unanswerable as the chicken or the egg question, but this will remain a thorn in the side of many a business. At least until we as an industry offer some kind of solution. I pose one way to potentially address this - mayb...

In this episode I reflect a little on how easy it is to not see all the things that truly make us unique not only as SEO's but as humans. Through a conversation with a colleague, I uncover how to talk about what is my "super power" - which I think is a great way to describe the thing that comes so naturally to you that seems so amazing to others - that you're in awe that anyone noticed. I also sha...