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.