Product-Led SEO [Podcast]

Do you know which SEO strategies will successfully generate traffic, leads and sales for your company?

Do you need information on how to approach online visibility?

When it comes to SEO, success usually doesn’t depend on what you do, but how you do it.

Eli Schwartz, author of the book “Product-Led SEO,” joins Loren Baker in this episode to discuss long-term SEO strategies and how to implement an SEO mindset in your company.

Rather than offering step-by-step guidance and techniques, this discussion delves into the logic and theory of SEO as a whole.

“What I call product-oriented SEO is taking many, many steps back and asking these questions:

Why will a search user find us? How will the search user experience our site? Is there a reason Google sends search users to us? When our audience finds us, will they fall into some kind of funnel? ” –Eli Schwartz

“A lot of times engineers don’t like SEO, so therefore you need to make them worry about doing something for you that doesn’t benefit their bonus or the way they’ll be measured.

This is more important than a win, because if you can get someone to care about your goals and you can scratch their back, and they will scratch your back, it will help you more in the future. ” –Eli Schwartz

[0:00] – How Eli started and how SEJ led him to his book [02:41] – Where Eli spent most of his career [04:12] – What he learned working for a company like Survey Monkey [04:53] – What VPs and product directors generally think about SEO [06:06] – What Survey Monkey was like in 2012, no SEO, but with a lot of brand value [06:33] – What did it do Eli changing his whole approach to SEO? [08:00] – The reason he says “no” to some clients [09:23] – When does it make sense to hire an SEO consultant? [11:01] – Things to watch out for beyond communicating with CTOs and engineers [11:34] – What Eli does in initial conversations with customers [14:47] – Steps to becoming an insider of a company for which do you consult [16:04] – Why is internal SEO broken? [17:41] – How Eli approaches each new client [19:06] – The way most companies think about SEO [20:31] – Why is it so much better to hire a consultant than a team? [23:46] – Where do consultants fill the gap? [25:24] – What brought Eli to the Bay Area? [27:39] – El i Mentor Positions [29:42] – Featured chapters in Eli’s book “Product Led SEO” [30:57] – What is Product Oriented SEO? [33:28] – What does SEO need to move away from? [35:12] – The big picture you need to see [36:51] – Get buy-in from the rest of the marketing team [37:23] – What Eli learned about goals [40:02] – Advantages of being in house at Survey Monkey [44:48] – When Eli did SEO in his own name and discovered the world famous epidemiologist [50:56] – The story behind Twitter @ 5le

“I wrote the book because I wanted to change the conversation about what SEO is. Product-driven SEO isn’t something I invented or coined; it’s just one way to approach SEO. ” –Eli Schwartz

“Can you do the job? Is there a buy-in? Even if you can’t do this 100 percent before signing the contract, see what you can do. Which will be able to move the needle to gain buy-in and get the champions within the company to communicate accordingly. ” –Loren Baker

“I think SEO needs to move away from this conversation about where I rank, what my keywords are, and focus on who my users are and why I should build for them.” –Eli Schwartz

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Eli Schwartz has worked for leading B2B and B2C companies for over a decade as an SEO specialist and consultant. Eli’s strategies have generated millions in revenue for some of the most popular websites in the world. In his book “Product-Led SEO”, he explores the logic and theory behind SEO. You’ll be able to develop your own best practices and see where most SEO strategies go wrong. Most importantly, you will discover the reason behind building an SEO strategy.

Connect with him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/5le

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/

Visit their website: https://www.productledseo.com

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

FAQ

What do VPs and Chief Product Officers generally think about SEO?

Eli says he’s found that VPs and product directors are often very analytical and have limited knowledge of SEO. They ask about things like links and other tactical issues, so it’s an opportunity to discuss long-term strategies and scripts.

When does it make sense to hire an SEO consultant?

Eli Schwartz says the best time for B2B to hire an SEO consultant is after they’ve been online long enough to understand who their users are. In your experience, it’s smarter to start your business, earn some money, and then try SEO.

Why in-house SEO is broken?

Companies often hire for an in-house tactical SEO role when they really want a strategic SEO professional. Tactical professionals aren’t promoted to strategic roles, so they don’t gain those skills. There aren’t enough qualified strategic SEO professionals, says Eli Schwartz.

How should you approach new SEO clients?

Eli Schwartz doesn’t just provide a delivery like an audit. He says he doesn’t know what the goals are or the company. So he starts working with them to define what they are.

Why is it so much better to hire an SEO consultant rather than staff-out?

External consultants are cheaper and offer less risk, but they can sit at the table and give objective opinions and a clear view of the company.

How can consultants fill gaps inside a company?

There are few SEO professionals with extensive experience and advanced management skills. SEO consultants are easier to find. They can provide superior skills and experience without the time normally spent on integration.

What is product-led SEO?

Typically, SEO professionals build websites and SEO strategies around profitable keywords. Product-driven SEO identifies a need. Then they build a website and SEO strategy around the solution to that need (the product).