Show Notes:

[00:00] Celebrating Episode 100 & Introducing Nick Eubanks

• Acknowledgement of Digital Marketing Radio’s 100th episode milestone.
• Introduction of guest Nick Eubanks, SEO strategist and creator of “Master Keyword Research in 7 Days.”
• Quick overview of his blog SEO Nick and his expertise in keyword research.

[01:28] Keyword Research, Intent, and Prioritization

• The importance of prioritizing keywords by intent, conversion potential, and timeline.
• How eCommerce businesses should think in short-, mid-, and long-term keyword goals.
• Navigating the “gray mist” of SEO timelines and strategies.
• Challenges of vanity metrics and uninformed SEO decisions at the leadership level.

[04:08] Conversion Funnels, Content Structure & Technical SEO

• Mapping keywords to different stages of the conversion funnel.
• Creating strategic site architecture: category > subcategory > product pages.
• Using modifiers (“buy,” “cheap,” brand names) to capture transactional intent.
• Leveraging microdata and structured markup for better search engine comprehension.
• Airbnb’s pioneering use of microdata and its SEO benefits.

[08:01] Attribution, Analytics & Tools for eCommerce SEO

• The evolving role of attribution in SEO, especially with “not provided” keyword data.
• Enhanced eCommerce tracking in Google Analytics and its importance.
• Paid search’s role in supplementing SEO intelligence.
• Tools like Authority Labs and their attempts to bridge keyword visibility gaps.
• Focus on raw conversion data, user flow, and high-value referral traffic.

[13:02] CMS Platforms, SEO Challenges & The Future

• Pros and cons of popular eCommerce CMSs: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Umbraco.
• Custom-built CMS experiences and why Nick’s team went that route.
• Frustrations with platform limitations and plug-in culture.
• The rise of Product Listing Ads (PLAs) and Google’s increasing dominance in verticals.
• Predictions about native mobile experiences, demographic behavior, and possible Google eCommerce platforms.
• The power of domains in long-term strategy and why Nick would invest $10K in a good one.
• Nick’s ultimate takeaway: Pick 20 keywords and plan realistically with rank potential in mind.