Sponsors:

⁠This week's podcast is sponsored by Wix Studio - the web platform built for agencies and enterprises.⁠

⁠This week's episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked - the best way to access People Also Ask data at scale.⁠

Show notes:

Jack and Mark reunite in the Candour studio to discuss the important search marketing news from April 2024.

Everything from Microsoft's answer to Google Discover, Brave Search's new AI-powered search experience and Google's answer to the recent site reputation abuse (AKA parasite SEO).

Time stamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:57 - Sponsor: Wix Studio

00:02:38 - Sponsor: AlsoAsked

00:04:24 - Microsoft Start releases its AI policy

00:16:39 - Brave Search launches Answer With AI

00:33:34 - Site reputation abuse

00:44:21 - Outro

Resources:

• Microsoft Start's AI policy: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/glenngabe_microsoft-ai-seo-activity-7181640732221288449-dnxp/
• Brave Search's Answer With AI https://brave.com/blog/answer-with-ai/
• Google documentation on site reputation abuse: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#:~:text=Site%20reputation%20abuse%20is%20when,first%2Dparty%20site's%20ranking%20signals
• Google will use both manual actions and algorithmic updates to tackle site reputation abuse: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-site-reputation-abuse-spam-37231.html
• Forbes blocks its coupon directory: https://www.seroundtable.com/forbes-coupon-directory-google-block-37269.html

Sponsors:

This week's podcast is sponsored by Wix Studio - the web platform built for agencies and enterprises.

This week's episode is also sponsored by CoreUpdates - the best way to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO news.

Show notes:

Andy Frobisher joins Jack on the podcast this week to discuss website migrations for ecommerce businesses. Andy & Jack answer questions including:

• Why do businesses migrate?
• What types of site migrations are there?
• When’s the best time to migrate?
• When should the SEO team be involved in the migration process?
• The common pitfalls of site migrations
• Some opportunities and benefits of migrating

Follow Andy:

Website: https://andyfrobisher.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-frobisher/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andy_frobisher

Andy's BrightonSEO talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFV0Onve6_Y

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, ⁠⁠⁠⁠go to optmyzr.com to start your two-week free trial today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show notes:

Adam Di Frisco joins Jack Chambers-Ward on this week's podcast to discuss Baidu and how Google is becoming more like Baidu. Topics covered include:

• Common misconceptions about Baidu
• Baidu ranking factors (study by Jademond)
• How heavily is Baidu used in China?
• The similarities between Google and Baidu
• Why are spam penalties harsher on Baidu

Time stamps:

00:00:21 - Intro

00:01:44 - Sponsor: AlsoAsked

00:03:29 - Sponsor: Optmyzr

00:05:50 - Interview with Adam Di Frisco

00:56:40 - Outro

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, ⁠⁠⁠go to optmyzr.com to start your two-week free trial today.⁠⁠⁠

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. ⁠⁠⁠Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.⁠⁠⁠

Show notes:

Matt Tutt joins Search With Candour this week to discuss how to make the web more sustainable:

• The resources required for data centres
• How easy it is to use green web hosting
• Reducing image sizes
• Reducing crawl budgets
• Should we have a universal crawler?
• Putting pressure on CMSs to use renewable energy sources

Resources:

• Matt's climate change +SEO survey for Search Engine Land: ⁠https://searchengineland.com/climate-change-seo-survey-making-web-more-sustainable-438209⁠
• The Green Web Foundation: https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/

• https://www.websitecarbon.com/

• https://lowwwcarbon.com/ 

• Michelle Barker - A greener web: https://youtu.be/EfPoOt7T5lg?si=o7Dn16CkBsaokIu9

Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, the modern PPC management software built for PPC people. Go to optmyzr.com to start your two-week free trial today.

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. ⁠Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.

Show notes:

Mark Williams-Cook and Jack Chambers-Ward are reunited in the Candour studio to discuss:

• The European Commission's AI Act
• Ethan Lazuk's breakdown of the Google anti-trust trial

⁠Watch Search With Candour on Youtube⁠⁠

⁠⁠For previous episodes, links, shows notes and more.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, ⁠⁠go to optmyzr.com to start your two-week free trial today.⁠⁠

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. ⁠⁠Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.⁠⁠

Show notes:

Beth Woodcock joins the podcast this week to discuss how to get into technical SEO if you don't have a technical background.

• Where should someone start with technical SEO?
• Are there particular tools that are essential to learn?
• What are the best resources for learning technical SEO?
• The importance of working in diverse teams

Resources:

• The Odin Project
• So Good They Can't Ignore You
• Rebel Ideas

⁠Watch Search With Candour on Youtube⁠

⁠For previous episodes, links, shows notes and more.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, ⁠go to optmyzr.com to start your two-week free trial today.⁠

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. ⁠Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.⁠

Show notes:

Amy Doherty joins Search With Candour this week to discuss the power of storytelling in marketing.

• How to add emotion to your marketing and advertising
• How storytelling helps you relate to your audience
• How to use both analytical and creative skills in marketing
• How to use story structures to make your reports and presentations better

Watch Search With Candour on Youtube

For previous episodes, links, shows notes and more.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Optmyzr, go to optmyzr.com to start your two week free trial today.

This episode is also sponsored by AlsoAsked. Go to alsoasked.com to get the best way to access People Also Ask data for your keywords.

Show notes:

Gus Pelogia, SEO Product Manager at Indeed, joins Jack Chambers-Ward to discuss the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and what effect it will have on Google SERPs

• What is the Digital Markets Act?
• What is a gatekeeper in the Digital Markets Act?
• What will the Digital Markets Act do?
• What sectors will the DMA affect?

Follow Gus:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pelogia
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gpelogia/

• Gus' article about the DMA: https://www.guspelogia.com/google-dma-serp-changes

Watch Search With Candour on YouTube.

Find previous episodes at search.withcandour.co.uk.

Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook reunite to recap all the important SEO news from February 2024.

Sponsored by Positional:

Join the closed beta now before launch on 26 March 2024!

Jack & Mark discuss:

• The new Google & Reddit agreement
• Google paying publishers to test new AI tools
• Helpful Content fallout and recoveries
• What is information gain?

Time stamps:

• 00:00:05 - Intro
• 00:00:52 - Sponsor: Positional
• 00:02:41 - Google and Reddit partnership
• 00:08:00 - 'Help me write' AI vs review guidelines
• 00:12:53 - Google is paying publishers to test unreleased AI tools
• 00:17:54 - Sponsor: Positional
• 00:19:20 - Google is killing independent sites
• 00:24:00 - Helpful Content Update recovery
• 00:31:30 - What is information gain and why does it matter?

Watch Search With Candour on Youtube

Hannah Butcher joins the podcast this week to discuss squiggly SEO career paths.

• Why are unusual career paths common in the SEO industry?
• What are the benefits of this kind of career path?
• What are some of the potential drawbacks?
• Common causes of job changes
• How much can mental health and neurodiversity contribute to your career path?

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/sr4bviTy65c

Sponsors:

• AlsoAsked - https://alsoasked.com/
• CoreUpdates - https://coreupdates.com/

Follow Hannah:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hanfbutcher
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahfb/
• Website: https://agency-angel.com/

Nate Matherson, CEO of Positional and host of the Optimize Podcast, joins Jack to discuss how to make your content helpful in 2024.

Topics discussed include:

• How to stand out against AI-generated content
• How to find unique data sources
• Why you should include quotes from subject experts
• How to demonstrate first-hand experience
• Bring some personality and tone of voice to your writing
• Targeting long-tail keywords

For full show notes and to watch on YouTube, go to search.withcandour.co.uk.