Bruce Clay on SEO, Links, and Google
Digital Marketing, Social PR Secrets

143: Bruce Clay on Hiring SEO Specialists, Link Mentions and How You Attribute to Google’s Success

Bruce Clay asks…Does your SEO team even know what they are doing? Are they optimizing your website with Google’s current best practices? Did you know there is no such thing as being Google certified for SEO? 

Bruce Clay coined the term SEO in 1996, two years before Google even existed. So, if you’re looking to give your website a competitive edge, why not learn from the Father of SEO himself?

Some requirements needed to even be considered an SEO expert working at Bruce Clay, Inc. include 10+ years experience, on-the-job training forever, and a career-driven mindset.  This is how world-renowned expert Bruce Clay procures the best-of-the-best for his consulting agency.

In Lisa Buyer’s newest episode of the Social PR Secrets podcast, Bruce Clay, SEO expert and founder of Bruce Clay, Inc., shares some of the strategies he uses to spot the scammers and dabblers from the 100% real-deal SEO experts. 

Tips on How to Hire an SEO Specialist 

“Google is changing their algorithm eight times a day… every Monday it’s a new industry.” –Bruce Clay

SEO is a living, breathing creature. Much like the human body, it must be fed day in and day out, multiple times, 7 days a week. Since the SEO ecosystem is evolving daily, no one can truly know it all. But there are ways to keep up with the trends. 

Bruce says that he stays current by allotting 2 hours a day to reading. He advises that if you are or aspire to be an SEO specialist, you need to do your own research and be open to learning even off the clock.

Before starting the interview process, all business owners looking to hire a consultant should consider taking Bruce’s training SEO classes. This will help you ask the right questions as well as understand the role you’re hiring for and the proper approach and methodology of SEO. 

Taught by Bruce Clay himself, this is for anyone — IT specialists, content strategists, new hires, even the CEO or CMO can learn a thing or two about what to look for when hiring and asking the right questions You will learn organic, effective, and ethical methodologies for on-page and off-page optimization, user experience, SEO web design, content ranking factors, mobile best practices and soiling site architecture.  

SEO Common Misconception About Press Releases

Before we start debunking press release theories, let’s break down some PR Marketing vocab talked about in this episode:

  • Press Release: a short, compelling article that stirs up publicity, and in the long run, advances your company and brand through additional collateral like podcasts, features, and links.
  • Authoritative Links: Found typically on highly regarded and esteemed sites like education (.edu) or government (.gov). This type of link is a helpful and valuable way to promote your website. 
  • Organic or Blue Links: Not offering monetary compensation or asking for a media source to include a link to your site onto theirs.
  • No-Follow Link: This does not positively or negatively influence lab scores. These types of links are desultory.

There is some gray area when it comes to navigating SEO. One prime example is how press releases actually serve your brand. Bruce says that getting a link back to your website from a media outlet that publishes your article announcement is not necessarily an authoritative link. 

Fundamentally, a vast majority of publications are almost always considered to have no-follow links, however, every link in a publication is considered to be authoritative. How to meet the authoritative credential? The goal is to get the public buzzing about you! Make sure your campaign has a constant flow of mentions.

Your Website Content Plays a Significant Role in Google’s Success

Google needs you just as much as you need them. The relationship between the search engine and its websites is symbiotic. Nearly 700 experts represent 18+ Google technologies worldwide, and it’s still not enough to function on its own. Why? Because there’s no way for Google to keep up with every single topic in the world without help. That’s where website content comes into play. If you’ve ever posted an article, then give yourself a pat on the back. You are among the many reasons that Google reigns as the #1 search engine in the world. 

Some Topics Discussed in this episode include:

  • The Father of SEO
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Experts
  • Bruce Clay SEO Training Classes
  • How Press Releases Work
  • Authoritative Links
  • Organic/Blue Links
  • No-Follow Links
  • Google Search Engine
  • Pay Per Click
  • Google Ads

Connect with Bruce Clay:

Links Mentioned

 

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