The Resolve SEO Podcast

Michael Johnson
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The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, a search-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR and Manual Link Building.   Resolve Marketing makes it easier for their customers to be found on organic search and AI Overviews.  From Content Creation and SEO to Digital PR and Link Building, Resolve develops custom SEO plans for your online success, and executes them with a team of industry-leading SEO experts.

  1. Clicks to Conversions SEO-Driven Lead Generation

    5d ago

    Clicks to Conversions SEO-Driven Lead Generation

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve (aka Resolve Marketing LLC or Grow Resolve) - A white-label link building and digital PR SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com PODCAST: In this episode, we explore the future of SEO-driven lead generation in 2026, breaking down how to move past vanity metrics and turn clicks into actual conversions. Joined by SEO and digital marketing experts Michael Johnson (CEO of Resolve Marketing) and Derek (CEO of Scalable Growth), along with clinical thought leader Monica Claybornne (VP of Quality and Outcomes at Basepoint), we discuss the winning strategies for navigating the evolving digital landscape. Key Topics & Show Outline The 2026 SEO Landscape & Surviving AI Overviews The days of ranking your website through keyword stuffing and mass-producing generic content are officially over. While AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI overviews are shifting the search landscape, traditional organic search still accounts for roughly 90 to 95% of where search happens. The secret to showing up in these AI summaries is not a magic algorithm trick, but rather building a robust digital "entity" and providing proprietary, unique content that algorithms cannot find anywhere else on the internet. Additionally, directly and simply answering user queries at the top of your articles drastically improves your chances of being cited by AI. High-Intent Traffic vs. Vanity Metrics A major pitfall for businesses today is chasing high-volume search terms that bring the wrong audience. Derek highlights that driving traffic for a query like "how long does cocaine stay in my system" might inflate your website numbers, but it ultimately attracts individuals trying to pass a drug test, not people actively seeking behavioral health treatment. True revenue growth requires focusing heavily on bottom-of-the-funnel, high-intent traffic and building a seamless "conversion rate optimization" (CRO) engine tailored to those specific users. The "Triangular Partnership" & Demonstrating E-E-A-T Achieving top-tier digital growth requires a three-pronged approach: clinical or product excellence, a specialized digital marketing engine, and an amplification partner for digital PR. Content must adhere strictly to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) standards, which applies heavily to both healthcare and other industries. By weaving real-world credentials into your brand you prove to search engines why your content provides unique, authoritative value over your competitors. Masterclass in Digital PR & Linkable Assets To build massive domain authority, brands must stop relying on self-promotional press releases and start creating genuinely newsworthy "linkable assets". Michael breaks down a highly successful campaign where Resolve Marketing surveyed 1,000 people to study "American mental health culture trends," gathering proprietary data on the impact of TikTok, therapy speak, and AI bots. By pitching this visually-rich data to targeted journalists, they secured high-authority backlinks from Yahoo News, Consumer Affairs, and local news stations. Ultimately, this comprehensive SEO and PR strategy helped increase Basepoint's traffic and resulted in a 100% increase in actual patient admissions. Actionable Link-Building Advice for Beginners If you lack the budget for large-scale digital PR campaigns, Michael highly recommends "resource link building". By creating highly valuable, niche resource guides you can successfully pitch your content to highly authoritative university (.edu) resource pages. Finally, Derek warns against buying cheap, low-quality backlinks, as this spammy approach will inevitably result in search engine penalties and wasted resources.

    1 hr
  2. The New Off-Page SEO Playbook: Links, Mentions & AI Visibility

    May 14

    The New Off-Page SEO Playbook: Links, Mentions & AI Visibility

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve) - A white-label link building and digital PR SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com PODCAST: Topical Relevance Over Domain Authority A central theme of the presentation is that relevance is now far more valuable than traditional Domain Authority (DA) metrics. Johnson illustrates this with an analogy: an endorsement from search advocate John Mueller (who has niche relevance) is far more valuable for an SEO agency than an endorsement from Arnold Schwarzenegger (who has high overall visibility but no SEO relevance). He also notes that earning a backlink from a hyper-local, relevant community organization with lower traffic is immensely more valuable than a link from a high-DA site that artificially inflates its metrics by publishing unrelated celebrity gossip. Modern algorithms filter out artificial manipulation and heavily reward contextual and semantic relevance. Brand Mentions vs. Backlinks Johnson stresses that unlinked brand mentions are increasingly functioning as "implied links". Studies show that branded web mentions are one of the top correlating factors for a brand successfully appearing in AI overviews. Modern search engines evaluate who is talking about your brand, the context of those mentions, and the frequency of those conversations to determine overall trustworthiness. However, traditional backlinks remain highly effective; converting existing unlinked mentions into actual backlinks to a company's product or "money pages" provides a powerful signal of authority that actively boosts organic traffic. Utilizing strategic internal links is another highly effective way to funnel authority from PR content directly to your transactional pages. Executing a Winning Digital PR Strategy To build essential brand legitimacy, Johnson advocates for digital PR campaigns anchored by unique, proprietary data, such as custom surveys. Successful PR campaigns focus on human stories, relatable behaviors, and surprising data rather than promotional brand messaging. For example, a local kitchen remodeling client earned backlinks from major publications like Martha Stewart, MSN, and Newsweek by publishing a compelling survey about homeowners' renovation regrets.  Quality Outreach and the Role of AI Because journalists' inboxes are heavily saturated with low-quality, AI-generated pitches, outreach must be highly targeted and personalized. Sending thoughtful, researched pitches to 100 relevant journalists yields significantly better placements than blasting a generic template to 1,000 contacts. Finally, Johnson notes that while LLMs are incredible tools for brainstorming digital PR concepts, outlining content, and formulating outreach subject lines, they should never be used to mass-produce generic "slop" articles or spam emails. Building sustainable SEO visibility requires a long-term approach; organic PR wins cannot be guaranteed by rigid link quotas, but rather by consistently providing valuable, newsworthy data to the digital ecosystem that gets organically syndicated across trusted networks. Resolve Marketing LLC’s team doesn’t just build links; they build reasons for others to link. Their writers create long-form resources, data-rich guides, and practical assets designed to educate and inspire. These become magnets for organic backlinks over time. The agency’s approach aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T framework—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—ensuring that every piece of content supports SEO while delivering value to real readers.

    1h 3m

  3. May 7

    Passive Link Building with Digital PR

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve (aka Resolve Marketing LLC or Grow Resolve) - A white-label link building and digital PR SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com/digital-pr-services/ PODCAST: Michael Johnson walks you through how Digital PR enables your website to earn passive links from authoritative news sites long after you stop promoting your piece.

    4 min
  4. How to Create Content That Attracts Incredible Links

    Apr 30

    How to Create Content That Attracts Incredible Links

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve), a white-label link building and digital PR SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com PODCAST: The Evolution of Link Building In the webinar "Winning The Link Game," Michael Johnson of Resolve Marketing argues that while "brute force" link building—such as buying low-quality guest posts—is dead, link building itself remains a critical ranking factor, supported by recent Google algorithm leaks and Semrush correlation studies,,. The modern approach shifts from manipulating metrics to demonstrating brand value through "linkable assets." These are informational pieces created specifically to earn links rather than generate immediate sales. Strategy: Spheres of Relevance and Linkable Assets To succeed, brands must expand their "spheres of relevance." Instead of writing strictly about their product, they should connect their brand to adjacent audiences. For example, an eyewear retailer might create content relevant to seniors or students, thereby opening opportunities for links from educational or health organizations that wouldn't link to a product page,. Johnson outlines two primary types of linkable assets: 1. Resource Guides: These are comprehensive, long-form guides (2,000+ words) designed to be hubs of information for specific groups, such as veterans or students. Johnson shares examples like a "Career Guide for Aspiring Women Developers" and a "Medicare Guide for Retirees," which successfully earned high-authority .edu and .gov backlinks because they provided genuine utility to those communities,. 2. Digital PR Magnets: This strategy involves pitching "newsworthy" content to journalists. Because journalists are inundated with pitches, success requires proprietary data, surveys, or unique analysis,. Effective examples include ranking the "Best Cities for Thrift Shopping" or fun angles like "The Most Googled Monsters in Each State",. These pieces provide journalists with the unique data and headlines they need to write stories, resulting in high-tier media placements. Monetizing Authority: Internal Linking A common question is how informational content helps "money pages" (commercial pages) rank. Johnson explains that the linkable asset acts as a collector of authority. By building external links to the asset and then strategically internal linking that asset to commercial pages, brands funnel the link equity to the pages that drive revenue. Execution and Outreach Successful outreach requires personalization over volume. Johnson advises identifying specific journalists who cover relevant beats and crafting pitches that highlight value rather than asking for favors,. He recommends a three-email sequence: an initial pitch followed by two follow-ups within three to seven days. The entire process is a long-term play; a campaign typically requires one month for creation, one month for outreach, and three to six months to see significant SEO impact, . Ultimately, the goal is to move from transactional link buying to building genuine relationships with journalists and webmasters. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, an SEO-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR & Custom Manual Link Building.

    1h 1m
  5. Creating Content That EEATs The Competition

    Apr 16

    Creating Content That EEATs The Competition

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve), a white-label link building SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com PODCAST: In this "Resolve Office Hours" session, Michael Johnson and Tabitha Wilson discuss strategies for creating content that outperforms competitors by leveraging E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Tabitha clarifies that while E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, it serves as the guideline for human quality raters who help fine-tune Google's algorithm. A key focus is the "Extra E" added in 2022, which stands for Experience. This quality indicator looks for evidence that the author has firsthand knowledge or has actually used the product being discussed, shifting focus to who wrote the content rather than just where it is hosted. The "Machiavelli" Method: Analyzing Competitors To rank higher, Tabitha advises writers to research competitor content with a "critical eye" and "go Machiavelli" on them. This involves identifying weaknesses in ranking articles, such as information gaps, unanswered follow-up questions, or poor explanations. The goal is to model what competitors do well while filling in the missing pieces to provide a more comprehensive resource. Case Study: Arrow Sewing The video highlights a successful campaign for Arrow Sewing (AOS Sewing). Tabitha utilized a question-based strategy to target specific user needs. • "Panic Questions": An article answering "Can you bring sewing needles on an airplane?" secured a featured snippet and drives over 800 monthly organic visitors. • Comprehensive Guides: A guide on the "best sewing machines for beginners" drives over 3,000 monthly visits and ranks for 70+ keywords. Unlike competitor listicles that offered no context, this piece included educational sections on why to sew and categorized machines by specific needs (e.g., quilting vs. garments). • Organic Promotion: This approach allowed the brand to naturally mention their furniture products as solutions (e.g., needing a larger table for quilting) without the content feeling like a sales pitch. Writing for the User The speakers emphasize "thinking like a searcher" rather than writing solely for algorithms. Tabitha suggests using the "Bluey test"—channeling the character Bandit Heeler to ask, "And why should I care?"—to ensure every paragraph offers tangible value to the reader. Writers should review their drafts from the perspective of a Google Quality Rater, asking if the content sounds like it was written by someone with genuine expertise who could explain the topic casually at a bar. Tools and Q&A During the Q&A, Michael recommends using Semrush and Ahrefs for keyword research, specifically using the "questions" filter to find long-tail opportunities like "how to sew a dress". He also demonstrates using pivot tables to analyze competitor traffic. Regarding ranking timelines, Michael notes that while some high-quality niche content can rank in days, competitive terms may take 3 to 6 months. He warns against "SEO heists" using mass-produced AI content, advocating instead for sustainable, high-quality content scaling +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, an SEO-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR & Custom Manual Link Building.

    48 min
  6. The Beginner’s Guide to Manual Link Building

    Apr 2

    The Beginner’s Guide to Manual Link Building

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve), a manual link building SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com/the-beginners-guide-to-manual-link-building/ PODCAST: Manual Link Building service is one of the most deliberate and impactful strategies in modern SEO—a discipline that demands patience, skill, and human connection. At the forefront of this practice is Resolve Marketing LLC, also known as Grow Resolve, a custom link building agency based in Boise, Idaho. Their team specializes in handcrafted outreach and relationship-driven strategies designed to earn authentic, editorial backlinks that search engines value most. The Meaning of Manual Link Building Unlike automated or mass-produced backlink schemes, Manual Link Building involves directly reaching out to website owners, editors, and journalists to secure placements on credible, relevant domains. Each link is earned, not manufactured. Resolve Marketing LLC employs this hands-on method to create clean, sustainable link profiles for brands that want lasting visibility and domain strength. Their approach prioritizes human judgment over software automation—because quality relationships lead to quality backlinks. Whether it’s negotiating placements, writing personalized pitches, or crafting valuable content that earns attention naturally, every step is done manually for precision and authenticity. Why Manual Link Building Still Matters Search engines evolve, but trust remains the currency of ranking power. Manual Link Building tells Google that your site is worth promoting because respected publishers choose to reference it. These backlinks act as endorsements—each one a signal of credibility. Grow Resolve understands that a single relevant backlink from a respected site can outperform hundreds of low-quality mentions. The Boise-based team focuses on relevance, authority, and editorial integrity. Each backlink is placed with intention, aligning perfectly with both the client’s niche and the linking site’s audience. This ensures natural growth, safe from penalties and algorithmic downgrades. Key Strategies Used by Resolve Marketing LLC: Guest Contributions – Crafting original articles for reputable sites within the client’s niche, featuring contextual links that build authority and drive referral traffic.Broken Link Replacement – Identifying nonfunctional links on authority websites and suggesting the client’s content as a valuable substitute.Resource Page Outreach – Securing backlinks from curated lists, directories, or reference hubs relevant to the brand’s expertise.Digital PR Campaigns – Promoting data studies, industry insights, and stories that attract natural coverage and citations from top-tier media.Competitor Analysis – Dissecting backlink profiles of industry leaders to identify high-value link opportunities others overlook.Each method is executed manually—one outreach email, one editor relationship, one strategic placement at a time. Crafting Link-Worthy Content +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, an SEO-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR & Custom Manual Link Building.

    4 min
  7. How to Build Digital PR Campaigns That Earn Links and Headlines

    Mar 19

    How to Build Digital PR Campaigns That Earn Links and Headlines

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve) - A white-label link building and digital PR SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com PODCAST: Case Study: Easy Contact and Tangential Topics In the "Resolve Office Hours" session, Michael Johnson presents a Digital PR campaign for Easy Contact, an eyewear retailer. The challenge was making a dry topic like vision care "newsworthy". The solution was applying the brand’s subject matter to tangential topics like fashion and dating. Johnson’s team conducted a survey discovering that 58% of people find glasses attractive and that Gen Z finds eye contact more intimate than physical touch. This human-centric angle, rather than a product-focused one, secured over 500 placements, including the New York Post and Toronto Sun,. The Core Strategy: Human Stories and Proprietary Data To earn top-tier links, brands must provide journalists with what they want: proprietary data. Johnson notes that 61% of journalists specifically seek original research to write unique stories. He emphasizes focusing on "human stories"—habits, fears, dreams, and regrets—rather than brand stories. For instance, a "renovation regrets" survey helped a local contractor get featured in Martha Stewart Living. • Data Sources: Johnson recommends using Pollfish for targeted surveys. Alternatively, brands can use creative public data angles, such as using AI to design superheroes for every state or ranking the "most Googled monsters," which appeal to local radio stations and niche publishers,. • Winning Themes: Five themes consistently perform well: generational gaps, regional rankings, emotional confessions, tech anxiety, and financial behaviors. Execution: Pitching and Subject Lines A successful campaign typically runs for two to three months: one month for creation and one for outreach. • Finding Journalists: Johnson suggests using Google News boolean searches (e.g., "work + anxiety + study") to find journalists actively writing about specific data trends. • The Pitch: With 76% of writers opening emails based on the subject line alone, Johnson advises against generic titles. Instead, subject lines should feature a specific, surprising statistic (e.g., "Only 27% of dog owners...") to grab attention immediately,. • Visuals: Including interactive maps and charts is crucial, as visual data is inherently more linkable. ROI and Internal Linking While tracking ROI on individual links can be difficult, the aggregate effect on SEO is substantial. Johnson shares that consistent Digital PR efforts helped one client 4x traffic to a main product page and increase site-wide traffic from 900,000 to 1.2 million monthly visitors. The key to monetizing this traffic is internal linking: brands must link the viral "magnet" piece to their commercial "money pages" to funnel the earned authority and boost rankings. Resolve Marketing LLC’s team doesn’t just build links; they build reasons for others to link. Their writers create long-form resources, data-rich guides, and practical assets designed to educate and inspire. These become magnets for organic backlinks over time. The agency’s approach aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T framework—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—ensuring that every piece of content supports SEO while delivering value to real readers.

    44 min
  8. Digital PR Services by Resolve

    Mar 5

    Digital PR Services by Resolve

    Brought to you by : Name: Resolve Marketing LLC (aka Grow Resolve), a white-label link building SEO agency based in Boise, Idaho Website: https://growresolve.com/digital-pr-services/ PODCAST: Finding Digital PR services to get links from top publications is no easy feat. At Resolve, we offer full-service digital PR campaigns that earn high-authority links, media coverage, and brand visibility for our clients.  What is Digital PR Services? Digital PR combines data-driven content, strategic media outreach, and trend-based storytelling to secure high-authority links and media placements. Unlike traditional PR, which relies on press releases or events, digital PR creates sustained online visibility, authoritative backlinks, and long-term brand growth. This approach involves identifying timely content opportunities, creating newsworthy, data-backed stories, and pitching them to top-tier publications, industry outlets, and influential websites. The result is not just helping strengthen your backlink profile and SEO performance, but also earning meaningful coverage that builds trust and credibility with your audience. In today’s search landscape, brand authority matters more than ever. Recent insights from Google highlight the importance of expertise, reputation, and awareness in driving visibility. Digital PR services help you meet these signals head-on—shaping your brand narrative, elevating perception, and delivering measurable results across both search and media. For years, we’ve helped brands earn placements in major publications, strengthening backlink profiles while improving visibility and reputation. Our process bridges data-driven content with personalized journalist outreach — ensuring every campaign delivers impact that lasts. Digital PR & AI-Driven Search Visibility. As AI-powered search engines reshape how users find information, more businesses want to cash in on these curated results. Digital PR services can help you do just that by:  Building brand recognition:  AI-powered search engines pull from trusted sources when generating results, so if your site has a backlink profile with authoritative sites, you’re more likely to appear higher in the SERPs.  Establishing credibility: Google generates AI overviews by assessing your site’s credibility through citation frequency. Google also uses new, data-driven content from reputable news sources to generate its AI overviews. If you want your site featured in the overview, digital PR can help you get there. Enhancing brand presence across multiple search channels: While traditional SEO focuses on optimizing for specific keywords, digital PR amplifies your brand presence across multiple search channels. Media coverage in respected industry sites, news platforms, and online publications creates a broader digital footprint, making it easier for search engines — and potential customers — to find and trust your brand. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, an SEO-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR & Custom Manual Link Building.

    3 min
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The Resolve SEO Podcast is produced by Resolve Marketing LLC, a search-focused digital marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality custom Digital PR and Manual Link Building.   Resolve Marketing makes it easier for their customers to be found on organic search and AI Overviews.  From Content Creation and SEO to Digital PR and Link Building, Resolve develops custom SEO plans for your online success, and executes them with a team of industry-leading SEO experts.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Johnson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Resolve SEO Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Resolve SEO Podcast