Use Data Or Be Used By Data!

The July 23 issue of Seotistics is here for you!

As you may have noticed, one of the goals of Seotistics is to go beyond mainstream Web Analytics (and SEO).

I show you how to go beyond GA4 & GSC once again and what

🚨 P.S. v2 of my Analytics for SEO course is out with a 30% discount for 9 days!

Go check it out!

Please move this email to your Primary inbox or reply to it. This is to prevent Seotistics goes into spam by accident. Gmail users can read this tutorial to do it.

Read this in your browser

The Current Challenges

Following what was said in the last issue, companies don't have much sophistication in terms of data architecture.

It's common to see companies using the API instead of BigQuery and even dismiss SEO data.

I have talked to a lot of Heads of SEO all over the world and most of them struggle with this.

The management doesn't seem to value SEO data because it looks inaccurate and vague.

They aren't wrong either but you should open their minds to think about data differently.

The 2nd challenge is that there is a divide between SEO people and those who analyze data.

You pay an agency or ask someone from another team to analyze your data and you get results.

That's because:

SEOs lack technical skills
Data pros lack domain knowledge

The ideal thing is to combine both in one person.

Business (Aka The Solution)

You know, everyone knows, yet many don't do it in 2024.

Business acumen is the way to go in any job (unless you are a doctor).

This is the way to get things done.

By business knowledge, we usually refer to:

Using a language that managers/C-level can understand
Doing what benefits the business as a whole
The most profitable choices

The use of one channel over the other is thinking in terms of business.

Switching your mindset from being a tech guy to being business/action-oriented

For instance, why should I do SEO for Seotistics?

Why should a big publisher ignore SEO if they would benefit the most from it?

As you see, different businesses and different use cases.

My advice to learn more about the topic is to read more books and practice with your own business.

Being a freelancer or owning an asset teaches more than an entire life as an employee.

And those who relate to this message know that processes and operations are ALL.

The picture above is just one example of having a process or more.

You need to present your ideas in a structured manner. And a lot of managers love talking about this stuff!

How The Consulting Experience Helps Me

Consulting helped me immensely to realize how companies work from the perspective of an outsider.

My services are considered investments, after all.

This made me figure out that pretty much everything is an opportunity...

but it's also a burden.

When you talk to a business folk, they won't be as excited as you are about Data or SEO.

That's because they think in terms of the bottom line.

I always force myself to tie what I say to benefits, processes and money.

It doesn't have to be about gains, it can also be about savings.

The time to complete something is also relevant, as saving time leads to cost reduction!

Strategy + Operations + Tactics

In reality, many companies need people who are able to understand what can be done and how.

Strategy alone is fluff and many service providers excel at talk but lack pragmatism.

I've been there, some clients can't be helped, they don't have enough resources.

As per my Seotistics issue about strategy and tactics.

Still, SEO and even content as a whole are not for every business...

if there is a lack of workforce that can maintain your competitive advantage.

The Technical Motivations

There are some very specific reasons why you should use SEO data.

It's because they can be used to understand the market and what customers want.

But also, if you don't use BigQuery or more sophisticated solutions, this is why you should:

you get incomplete data affected by quota limits in GA4
you lose a big chunk of anonymized data from GSC
you will lose your old data so no YoY comparisons!
you need to spend time calling the API every single time because you didn't store your data

This slowness in reporting causes damage and affects the credibility of many marketing channels.

And it costs much more money to pay for Analytics 360 or create custom connectors.

As per my other Seotistics issue on a minimal architecture: https://seotistics.ck.page/posts/seo-automation-with-google-cloud

Nowadays it's also easier to get this data because Google itself gave us 2 excellent connectors to BigQuery.

Yes, I will have to prepare some content on this topic too!

A Personal Story

Whenever I need to recommend to do something involving data, I always ask these questions:

Why?
What?
How?
Is there any process for it?
What would be the benefit?

They will make you seem like a reasonable chap who is trying to think about the business.

You don't create a content plan if your clients don't have the resources.

Mind you, I've been there too, it happened to me as well.

Now I also ask about the business, how they are making money, why they need to use data and so on.

It all boils down to which questions you ask.

The Muddy Waters Of SEO

The SGE and AI have shaken things up a little bit.

I don't think they will destroy SEO jobs but you know...

it's hit after hit, especially depending on the industry you work in.

Ecommerce is the one that didn't suffer much compared to content websites, although SGE may pose a threat.

The problems of the industry as a whole are related to not seeing the bigger picture.

I am convinced that more SEOs will be forced to become a little bit more generalist and upskill.

For example:

Content SEO > Content Marketer/Manager
Tech SEO > Analytics, Web Development, UX/CRO
PR "SEO" > well, keep doing PR lol

Content SEO is tough to justify now because we live in the era of content distribution and repurposing, one of my favorite topics.

Tech SEOs may as well diversify more, although they have already been doing it.

The natural leap is either Analytics or Web Development or even UX/CRO because they are related to Tech SEO already.

Anyone can switch to any field but it's easier to consider the closest skills to those you already have.

The Era Of Pivoting

I see that many SEOs/Marketers want to make the leap and move to a technical position or well, become more technical.

That's because hard skills are always a guarantee in times of crisis.

I've recently read that some people want to join the Analytics family or switch to a more technical job.

I agree with this take because I am technically a Data Analyst and I talk about SEO as my domain/industry along with Web.

🚨 I've crafted a course that can teach you Analytics and help you pivot to the Data world:

[Analytics For SEO Course - v2] - 30% Discount

v2 is out and more content will be released in the next few days.

30% discount for 9 days so be sure to grab it!

You will:

✅ Use GSC and GA4 Data to their fullest potential

✅ Learn Python/R/SQL for your needs

✅ Get a complete blueprint for auditing websites

✅ Learn how to 10x your productivity

✅ Learn BigQuery to work on large websites

I teach you what's needed to go from 0 to a professional Data Analyst.

Even if you leave SEO, the foundations are the same for other jobs!

P.S. (Ab)use the referral system and get additional discounts 👀

Learn Analytics for SEO Now!

How (Not) To Lose

If everyone upskills or pivots, you lose.

Yes, you may not need some skills to do SEO or Marketing, but if everyone has them and you don't...

you will appear as less attractive to clients/employers.

If the market changes, you will be affected by it too! $

The Referral System

Refer Seotistics and get rewarded!

Refer Seotistics to get amazing rewards:

Your referral link: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]

🎁 Refer 3 Subscribers: Get tagged in a LinkedIn/X post
🎁 Refer 10 Subscribers: Get included in the next issue of Seotistics as a supporter
🎁 Refer 25 Subscribers: 25% discount for Analytics for SEO [Ebook]
🎁 Refer 50 Subscribers: 50% discount for Analytics for SEO [Ebook]
🎁 Refer 75 Subscribers: Free copy of Analytics for SEO [Ebook]
🎁 Refer 100 Subscribers: 1 hour of consultation
🎁 Refer 125 Subscribers: 25% off my Analytics for SEO Course
🎁 Refer 150 Subscribers: 2-hour consultation
🎁 Refer 200 Subscribers: 35% off my Analytics for SEO Course
🎁 Refer 301 Subscribers: 50% off my Analytics for SEO Course
active
🎁 Refer 404 Subscribers: 75% off my Analytics for SEO Course
🎁 Refer 500 Subscribers: Free Analytics for SEO Course