Foremost Media Marketing Chat Evan Facinger

In this episode, Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard guide you through the March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update. With Google is cracking down on scaled content abuse, particularly AI-generated content lacking original insights, and manipulative linking practices, they're here to ensure your website isn't negatively impacted and where you can find opportunities to take advantage of this update.


The Importance of SEO Auditing in 2024

Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard walk through the impact of the March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update which doubled down on the September 2023 updates, aiming to elevate content quality across the web. This update emphasized original, user-focused content over content that is only created to manipulate search engines which will massively negatively impact AI-generated and spammy content, parasite SEO, and manipulative linking practices. Now more than ever, experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are necessary for creating high ranking content in the eyes of Google. Listeners will gain valuable insights into maintaining high rankings or recovering from losses post-update. Jon and Evan also discuss the role of high-quality backlinks, how the Core Web Vitals have changed, and trusted author attribution for content. If you're a marketer or website owner navigating these changes, this episode is packed with essential tips and strategies to ensure your content remains relevant and competitive. Tune in for expert advice and actionable steps to adapt and thrive amidst Google's ongoing updates.


Resources Referenced:

Google Feedback Form
Google Search Central Content Article


Timestamps:


0:00 Intro
1:03 The March 2024 Google Helpful Content Update
2:06 What Unhelpful Content is to Google
6:03 Trusted Authors will be More Important in the Future
7:22 Google Search Central Content Article
8:04 How Important are High Quality Links?
10:03 What is Parasite SEO?
11:24 What to do if You've Been Negatively Impacted
14:00 Additional Google Updates
15:05 Outro


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Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard discuss geo-fencing in this episode, discussing its use in targeted advertising for trade shows, competitor customer targeting, and recruitment.


Compete Locally & Target Only The Best Leads

In this episode of the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast, hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard delve into the intricacies of geo-fencing, a location-based marketing tool that allows businesses to target ads to individuals entering or leaving a specific area. They clarify common misconceptions about geo-fencing, differentiating it from broader geo-targeting capabilities offered by platforms like Google Ads and Facebook. The discussion covers practical applications of geo-fencing, such as enhancing visibility at trade shows, targeting competitors' customers, and corporate recruiting. They emphasize the importance of choosing the right platform for geo-fencing, crafting compelling ad creatives, and optimizing mobile sites for conversions. The episode underscores geo-fencing's value as a cost-effective, highly targeted advertising strategy that, when integrated with a comprehensive marketing mix, can significantly boost brand recognition and campaign success.


Timestamps:


0:00 Intro
1:10 What even is Geo-fencing?
3:05 Tradeshow Marketing
5:01 Partnering with other platforms and apps
6:11 Seeing location based targeting in person
6:31 Corporate Recruiting with Geo-fencing
9:28 Using geo-fencing to compete locally
10:59 Understanding the data collection
12:02 Design ads and campaigns for mobile users
14:21 Outro


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In this episode, Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard guide you through the various kinds of SEO audits. They discuss technical audits, content strategies, backlinks, and creating effective SEO roadmaps.


The Importance of SEO Auditing in 2024

Hosts Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard dive deep into the world of SEO audits. As we step into a new year, they explore the significance of understanding and prioritizing different types of SEO audits, including technical, content, and competitor analysis. Evan and Jon discuss the complexities of technical SEO audits, emphasizing the importance of site crawlability, page speed, and the structure of a website in the eyes of search engines like Google. They also tackle common misconceptions and strategies around disavowing toxic backlinks, highlighting the nuanced opinions within the SEO community. As they shift focus to content and keyword analysis, our hosts provide valuable insights on identifying and leveraging fringe keywords, and the impact of on-page optimizations. This episode is not just about identifying problems through audits but also about developing actionable roadmaps to improve SEO performance. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the world of SEO, join Evan and Jon for a comprehensive guide through the intricate landscape of SEO audits.


Our Free SEO Audit

Timestamps:


0:00 Intro
1:49 The Many Types of SEO Audits
2:29 What Goes Into a Technical SEO Audit
3:56 Holding Technical SEO and Content in Tension
5:40 Importance of Site Structure
6:45 Schema Markup and Structured Data
7:22 Local VS National/International SEO
8:54 Disavowing Toxic Backlinks?
12:23 Content Gap Analysis is King
14:23 Importance of Fringe Keywords
16:57 How Often to Perform Site Audits
19:29 Audit Informed On-Page Optimization
21:00 Create a Prioritized Plan
22:23 Foremost's Free Audit Offer
23:19 Who's Wife Listens to the Podcast?
24:00 Outro


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Let's take a look back on one of the most chaotic years for marketing, 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Short Form Video, Voice Search, and of course, AI became extremely important for the industry going forward.


The Greatest Year of Change in Marketing History

Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard as they reflect on all of the crazy changes that came to the marketing industry in 2023. Since the creation of the internet, we have never seen any single year bring more massive changes to the marketing industry than this one. AI, while extremely useful, has been used by many as a new way to farm content. Short Form Video has officially taken center stage as something businesses can no longer ignore thanks to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and other social medias. GA4 has fully replaced Universal Analytics. Voice Search has become normalized in the average household. There's so much to learn from last year and even more to adapt to and look forward to in this year to come.


Timestamps:


0:00 Intro
2:31 Dos & Don'ts for Using AI Properly
6:25 Search Generative Experience in its Infancy
13:40 Short Form Video Competing with Google for Searches
15:43 Don't Neglect the Basics in Pursuit of the New and Shiny
17:17 UA is Done, GA4 is Here
17:58 Voice Search & Long Tail Keywords
19:49 Keep Your Google My Business Profile Updated
20:59 Final Thoughts


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In this episode we talked about website maintenance, site security, and how staying up to date can help your UX and SEO. Learn how to prevent a security breach while boosting your site and your rankings.


The Critical Role of Website Maintenance 

Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard in this episode as they delve into the crucial world of website maintenance, shedding light on the paramount importance of keeping content management systems (CMS) up-to-date. With a spotlight on the risks associated with using outdated platforms like WordPress, the duo emphasizes the potential security vulnerabilities and their impact on your website's safety. The conversation extends to the vital role of regular maintenance in search engine optimization (SEO) and enhancing user experience (UX). Evan and Jon provide insightful recommendations on initiating discussions with website developers, setting budgetary considerations for ongoing updates, and the potential vulnerabilities within website backups. Tune in for expert advice on the significance of professional management in ensuring the security and seamless functionality of your online presence.


Timestamps:


0:00 Intro
0:54 Why You Should Maintain Your Website
2:25 The Target on Wordpress' Back
4:53 Hacking Goes Beyond Wordpress
8:00 Boosting Your Website Performance for SEO and UX
10:23 Frequency and Costs of Website Maintenance
12:32 When to Rely on Backing Up Your Website
14:00 The Panama Papers Horror Story
16:15 Outro


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Welcome back to the Foremost Media Marketing Chat Podcast! In this episode we had a chat about algorithm volatility, drops in rankings, and strategies for investigating, diagnosing, and fixing these issues. What should you do when you start to lose the Google rankings you once had? We're here to help.


Solutions for Drops in Rankings

Join Evan Facinger and Jon Ballard in this timely episode as they unravel the mysteries behind sudden drops in Google rankings. From analyzing data in your various SEO tools to keeping up with your competition, we provide actionable insights to revive your SEO game. Learn about the crucial role of fresh content, backlinks, and the balance between organic SEO and pay-per-click advertising.


Time Stamps:


0:00 Introduction
1:22 Use tools to dive into the data
2:43 Why rankings drop
4:52 Are your competitors outranking you?
6:18 The importance of backlinks
8:14 Content made with the right intentions
9:53 Pay-Per-Click & Infinite scroll
12:28 Farewell and outro


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