It isn’t just the baffling jargon. A frivolous Friday post exploring the parallels with the world of extreme sailing and SEO.
Joe Friedlein
Founder & Managing Director
I suspect that most will be blissfully unaware, but the 2024 Vendée Globe got underway this week.
The Vendée Globe is one of the world’s most demanding solo sailing races which is infamous for pushing sailors to their limits as they navigate treacherous seas around the world.
I would most definitely not classify myself as a sailing fan, but I have always had a soft spot for the Vendée Globe and find myself following the drama as it unfolds every four years. I enjoyed the America’s Cup, which took place in Barcelona in recent weeks, but I have always preferred the Vendée Globe, which feels more like the ultimate showdown of man / machine versus nature. It is a genuine test of endurance, strategy and resilience and every race creates real drama.
So what does this have to do with SEO?
To be honest – not very much much! But….. there are some interesting parallels that I thought it may be fun to explore as a frivolous Friday blog post. Ali wrote about how SEO is like curling back in 2018, so I thought it was time for a different perspective.
In no particular order, here are some comparisons that I have been pondering this week as the 2024 edition of the Vendée Globe got underway.
The Vendée Globe is most definitely a long race – yachts will clock up around 40,000 miles if they manage to get across the finishing line.
SEO is also very much an ongoing, long-term strategy. Success in SEO requires a willingness to make steady, incremental improvements and to stay the course over months or even years.
Like the Vendée Globe, where sailors endure challenging conditions for weeks on end, SEO demands patience and a commitment to overcoming the inevitable challenges that will be thrown at you.
Vendée Globe sailors spend months (years?) preparing their boats, assessing equipment and training for every possible scenario. They will meticulously plan their routes and analyse weather patterns, tides and currents before setting off
A successful SEO strategy also requires a ruthless dedication to planning.
Choosing the right keywords, creating quality content, optimising site structure and developing a digital PR strategy are all foundational to SEO success. Like a well-equipped boat, a well-prepared website stands a much better chance of SEO success.
You can be sure that all the sailors in the Vendée Globe have a highly developed strategy that will have taken months to develop and will have an answer to as many ‘what if?’ scenarios as possible.
Failure to set off on an SEO journey without a clear strategy and consideration of likely hurdles is highly likely to lead to getting lost in the vast “ocean” of the internet without ever reaching top search rankings.
This is a famous saying, but seems to have been attributed to several individuals, including Helmuth von Moltke, Carl von Clausewitz and Dwight D Eisenhower. A more contemporary version is Mike Tyson’s, “Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face”.
Whoever you want to give the credit to, the message is simple – you should expect the unexpected and however good you are with your planning (see above), you *will* have curveballs thrown your way.
Sailors in the Vendée Globe face storms, technical malfunctions (I am thinking of you Alex Thompson) and a raft of unexpected challenges. They must also constantly adapt to changing weather and sea conditions.
The SEO world is equally unpredictable.
With regular algorithm updates, shifting search trends and evolving competitor tactics, SEO professionals need to be agile, resilient and be prepared to pivot. To be successful on your SEO journey, you have to constantly evaluate your progress and be prepared to adjust your strategy to stay on course.
Just as there are no shortcuts across the oceans in the Vendée Globe, there are no shortcuts in SEO.
Attempts to use “black-hat” techniques or other quick fixes—such as keyword stuffing, buying links, or using clickbait—can yield short-term gains but often lead to long-term penalties.
True SEO success, like completing the Vendée Globe, comes from consistent, ethical tactics that build a strong foundation.
In the Vendée Globe, sailors are always checking their navigation systems, weather updates and boat conditions to make necessary adjustments.
SEO also requires constant monitoring. Using tools like Google Analytics, Search Console and SEO software allows you to analyse your performance and measure the success of your digital marketing.
Sailors will adjust their course based on real-time data. Successful SEO demands similar attention to live data and a failure to spot trends can lead you way off course.
Whilst there is strictly only one winner of the Vendée Globe, there is global recognition that simply finishing the race is an incredible achievement.
The failure rate is very high and the monumental budgets required to have the most technically advanced boat mean that most of the competitors are not even in the race to win it. They are racing their own personal race and recognise realistic targets.
I think that SEO can be very similar – you need to pick your battles and recognise that some competitors should not be in your cross-hairs. You also don’t have to be no.1 for every keyword – as long as you are improving your organic search visibility across a wide range of keywords, you can expect to enjoy increased traffic levels and greatly improve the value of your website.
Set realistic targets and enjoy the journey.
(yes – that is a deliberate nautical play on words)
Am I going mad or does my frivolous Friday post have some merit?
I do believe that the Vendée Globe and SEO share a common philosophy: both are about endurance, skill, resilience and adaptation. You will face obstacles, whether sailing around the world or trying to dominate the SERPs, but the rewards are great for those who commit to the journey and embrace a growth mindset.
If you are struggling with SEO, think of the sailors who are currently on the water. Those who are the most successful, in both disciplines, do so not because they avoided hardship, but because they learned to navigate it.
The odds are not in your favour. But they could be….
Kerry Sheahan
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First SEO Conference for Lawyers to Be Held in Miami on December 6, 2024 – ABA Journal
The legal industry is embracing the power of digital marketing, and SEO is emerging as a critical tool for law firms aiming to enhance their online presence. Recognizing this trend, the inaugural Legal SEO Conference will take place on December 6, 2024, at Miami’s InterContinental Hotel.
Designed specifically for legal professionals, this one-day event will provide actionable insights to help attendees outpace their competitors and attract more signed cases.
1) Tailored Content from Leading Experts: The Legal SEO Conference brings together 10 of the most respected voices in the SEO and legal marketing fields. These experts will present sessions specifically addressing the challenges and opportunities of SEO for law firms. Highlights include:
• Jason Hennessey (Hennessey Digital): “Mastering SEO for Law Firms: How to Get Your Firm to the Top of Google and Stay There.”
• Ryan Stewart (Webris): “The Law Firm Lead Generation Funnel: How to Get More Clients in 90 Days or Less.”
• Maria Monroy (LawRank): “How to Measure Your Organic and Local SEO to Ensure Success.”
• Patrick Stox (Ahrefs): “Evidence-Based SEO: How Law Firms Can Use Data to Grow.”
• Seth Price (BluShark Digital): “Cracking the Three-Pack: The Holy Grail of Local Search for Law Firms.”
• Victor Karpenko (SeoProfy): “Data-Driven SEO for Law Firms: Sustainable Growth Year After Year.”
• Bill Hartzer (Hartzer Consulting): “Legal SEO and Domain Name Issues.”
• Rachel Hernandez (The HOTH): “Leveraging Topical Authority to Own the SERPs.”
• Kasra Dash (KasraDash.com): “From Backlinks to Big Wins: Authority Building for Legal SEO.”
• Kristaps Brencans (On The Map): “SEO Hot Spots: Mapping Your Firm’s Next Strategic Location.”
2) Networking Aboard a Yacht: Attendees will have the chance to network with peers and industry leaders during an exclusive yacht event, offering a unique and engaging setting for building professional connections.
3) Comprehensive SEO Training in a Single Day: This full-day conference will cover everything lawyers and legal marketers need to know to improve their search rankings, drive organic traffic, and increase signed cases. Participants will leave with practical strategies they can implement immediately to gain a competitive edge.
• Law Firm Owners: Seeking to elevate their firm’s visibility and grow their client base.
• Solo Practitioners: Looking to dominate local search and strengthen their practice.
• Law Firm Marketing Directors: Eager to refine their digital marketing strategies.
• Agencies Specializing in Legal Marketing: Focused on mastering the latest SEO techniques for their clients.
• Location: InterContinental Miami
• Date: December 6, 2024
• Standard Admission: $999: Includes access to all sessions, the yacht networking event, and the afterparty.
• VIP Admission: $1,499: Includes all standard perks, plus front-row seating, a private dinner with speakers, and enhanced networking opportunities.
With attendance capped at 150 participants (73% SOLD out), the Legal SEO Conference offers an intimate and focused experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain critical insights and connect with leaders in legal marketing. Register now to ensure your place at this groundbreaking event.
For more details and to reserve your spot, visit the Legal SEO Conference website.
This content is advertising.
The SEO career crisis is coming: Are you ready? – Search Engine Land
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#opentowork – it’s the hashtag I keep seeing on LinkedIn from SEO professionals.
Attached to this hashtag is a long post about the SEO being shocked and asking for help finding work.
Why? SEOs are being made redundant by agencies.
It’s been happening all year and is about to fuel the biggest career crisis in SEO.
You need to be ready.
You need to think about how you’ll handle things.
You need to make some decisions about your future.
This article will help.
When COVID-19 happened, and we were all locked away in our homes, an SEO boom occurred.
People suddenly remembered the importance of digital marketing, and we saw a huge increase in demand for services.
Agencies emerged from nowhere, and others grew at speed.
I recall trying to find SEOs to hire, and it was a nightmare. Many were in a bidding war for staff as wages increased and demand outstripped the supply of SEO staff.
Big agencies were now happy with fully remote or hybrid work. It was a glorious boom time of high salaries and demand for services.
But things change.
Throw in a few wars, an energy crisis, politics, inflation, higher interest rates, a cost-of-living crisis and sprinkle on a few elections.
As a result, people are spending less, and marketing budgets have tightened.
Money shifted to immediate customer acquisition (paid search), so SEO has been hit.
The kneejerk response would be that SEO is dead or dying. It’s not. By all accounts, SEO is a growing industry.
However, we experienced a period of rapid growth that would never have been sustainable during normal times, followed by a downturn.
The simple truth.
We have too many SEOs right now.
The freelance market is booming.
We all know it. But this is being fuelled by agencies collapsing or making staff redundant.
When an SEO faces redundancy, they end up having four options.
The latter tends to happen with execs. They can start a new role or career and even freelance on the side.
However, many freelance or start their own agency (in a decreasing SEO role marke)t.
This means that you often add to the competition field for every redundancy you make.
We then end up with a position where the price has to drop because supply outstrips demand for SEO services.
And that’s the current market. It’s been a messy 18 or so months.
But it’s about to change.
Dig deeper: What to do if you lose your SEO job: The emergency handbook
Companies have overspent on paid search and will turn to organic next year. We know that growth, no matter how minor, will likely be heading to economies.
And here’s the issue.
Agencies have let go some of their best staff… and getting them back is complicated.
First, there are huge benefits to being self-employed.
From tax efficiency to general work-life balance.
Second, you’re asking people to give up their relative freedom for 1 to 3 months’ notice and a probation period of less.
And then we have earnings.
Once you place tax into a mix, being a freelancer means you can take a six-figure salary home without earning six figures on paper.
Freelancers only need a few clients to earn more than their old salaries.
This causes a big issue for agencies.
So, what’s the solution?
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There are two ways this is going to go.
The first is that agencies that have survived will promote inexperienced staff to ensure they have enough people to do the work and fill the bottom with graduates.
A core issue with this is results.
A good executive does not always make a good account manager, and a good account manager does not always equal a good head of SEO, and so on.
People tend to be promoted to their position of “incompetence” and don’t go further.
This can result in many “bad agencies” that churn clients at scale.
That’s not to say they can’t thrive – in boom periods, they do. It’s just a tad on the depressing side, and generally, agencies like that reach their saturation point.
This is where they achieve a natural balance of client gain and churn. They don’t grow; they just stay the same size.
But there is another future.
The birth of the SEO agency brand.
Right now, I’d say that agency marketing is pretty awful generally.
We are in bad times right now, but we weren’t always in bad times, and we won’t be in bad times in the future.
Therefore, it’s how we market agency brands that matters.
But I want you to answer a question (in your mind).
If BrewDog had started an SEO agency, I think we could imagine how their agency would look.
We could guess the decor, style, approach and what it would feel like in the office.
As a client, I’m sure you’d like to visit the office. You’d have a nice beer poured in the meeting room while you chatted.
But what about if L’Oreal or any major beauty brand started an agency?
I think we’d say most of the staff would have nice hair, but aside from that, we’d know that the office would be glamorous, and their advertising and marketing content would be luxurious.
The point I’m making is that most agencies lack a brand or make no serious attempt at brand marketing.
I get why many (if not most) are in survival mode.
But this is not that.
Small agencies, even one-person ones, can start to think about how their agency feels and looks.
They can consider their websites, branding, documents and every touchpoint a client or staff member has with their brand.
I used to ship my SEO strategy reports in an ammo tin with a logo on the front, making the digital world tangible.
And it’s these things that are going to entice staff back from freelance land.
It’s not about putting your reports in tins – that’s not what I’m saying.
It’s about becoming an agency brand that people want on their CVs.
Being an office that people want to work in.
Being an agency that people want to work for.
Being an agency that clients want to work with – if for the “experience and results.”
This is also not a money thing; we’ll talk about that next.
This is a brand thing.
Having a distinctive brand that draws people in matters.
This is where future growth will be.
This is how you’ll attract the key talent.
However, agencies will need far bigger salaries if they are to compete.
And I’ll cover this next.
Dig deeper: In-house vs. agency SEO work: The pros and cons
It’s a simple statement:
“If you want results, hire superstars.”
And it’s true, but you’ll need to get used to a few things.
Agencies of the future will need to pay huge salaries to win back talent from their comfortable freelance worlds.
So, you’ll have to minimize everything else – which is fine.
Run lean in every non-essential area, and you can hire superstars to grow your brand through marketing and results.
But what about those wanting to stay freelance?
Look, I’ve been freelance. I’ve also built my own agency and now work for a leading one.
Freelance is great until you:
Need I go on?
Freelance work can be brilliant, but it does have downsides.
From pensions to other benefits that come with having stable employment, these are what you give up.
I’m not saying you overcome them, but freelance work often swings between periods of feast and famine.
This is why I’m so bullish on agency branding. To win employees back, you have to be vastly better than a freelancer life.
But what about retention?
Dig deeper: How to train entry-level SEO hires so they can contribute right away
When growth emerges again, your staff will look elsewhere for roles unless you’ve treated them correctly.
And I assure you, hiring can be both expensive and complex work. So, retaining staff matters.
I speak with many SEOs who are attracted to the freelance world, and there are always other agencies they can go to. And let’s not forget the client side.
This places agencies in a weak spot.
As growth emerges, the “talent” pool will be smaller, and staff demand will be higher.
Which again fuels wage rises and impacts your profitability.
The solution is to retain your SEO talent by offering a combination of great salary and working conditions and being an agency brand that people want to work for.
But am I dreaming here?
Is this all too much for SEO agencies to do?
I’ve long always said that once people go freelance, it’s virtually impossible to get them to be employees again.
There will be a great talent battle between agencies in the coming years.
We have already seen the rise of SEO influencers on platforms like Linkedin.
SEOs that generate their own work and leads.
If you’re going to either attract these people or stop your talent from wanting to leave you and join that game, there is simply no excuse.
You’ve got to build better agencies, or don’t bother.
And this is the SEO career crisis that’s coming.
When the growth happens, the agencies with the best brands will win big.
The agencies with the best talent will thrive.
And you’ll find that accessing talent is going to become harder.
Unless agencies become places where the talent wants to flow, you just might find that the freelancer market becomes the “go-to” place for SEO services.
Make no mistake: agencies will be in for a battle for staff in the coming months and years.
It’s on them to build agencies worth working for.
Dig deeper: The latest jobs in search marketing
Contributing authors are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.
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New: Google Rich Results For Podcasts – Search Engine Roundtable
Google has quietly added new rich results markup for podcasts in the developer center. Aaron Bradley seemed to have first spotted this and posted it on Google+ saying that “a new data type has appeared in the Google reference library of structured data types: podcasts.”
Google said “you can enable your podcast to appear in Google Search results along with individual episode descriptions and an embedded player for each.” This will however only work for searches done on the Google Search app version 6.5 or higher on an Android device or on Google Home. Google said they do want to add “support for Chrome on Android soon.”
Here is how it might look:
I am going to try to add it for my weekly SEO video podcast here and see what happens.
So those of you who have Google Home can ask for it on demand. Maybe one day…
In order to index a podcast, you must do the following:
- Expose a valid RSS feed describing the podcast that conforms to the RSS 2.0 specifications as well as the feed requirements described below.
- The feed must contain at least one episode that conforms to the requirements given on this page.
- The podcast must have a dedicated homepage with the elements described below. The homepage must have a
<link>pointing to your RSS feed. - The homepage, the RSS feed, and any non-blocked audio files must be exposed to Googlebot; that is, they must not require a login, and must not be protected by robots.txt or
<noindex>tags. - If you want your podcast to appear in Google Play, you should also read the Google Play Music podcast RSS feed specifications. The RSS specifications for Google Play Music and Google Search are complimentary but not identical, so if you enable support for one, you neither prevent nor enable support for the other.
Forum discussion at Google+.
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Seo Jungmin to give free concert at MECC – Coalfield.com
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