The Seotistics newsletter is written by Marco Giordano, a Data/Web Analyst with the goal of combining business and web data. Tired of the usual boring Analytics content without any business impact? Seotistics teaches you how to use Analytics, web data and even content in your workflow while helping you with Strategy.
๐ธ Make Money Out of SEO Data - Dotdash Meredith & Red Ventures
Use Data Or Be Used By Data!โ The June 12 issue of Seotistics is here for you! |
The SEO industry sometimes can't see the wood for the trees. We talk about rankings but forget about business and decision-making. Seotistics won't make the same mistake and today we'll talk about data and how it helps content goliaths. I know what you are thinking... this isn't the usual SEO newsletter. Dotdash Meredith and Red Ventures are 2 of the biggest media companies on the planet. They make extensive use of data to keep their dominant position... and we are going to see how. Please move this email to your Primary inbox. This is to prevent Seotistics goes into spam by accident. Gmail users can read this tutorial to do it. ๐ Some Analytics DefinitionsLet's start with some basic definitions:
All of these concepts are everpresent in many data discussions and constitute the core of why companies use data. The Science Of Decision-MakingOwning multiple websites requires prioritization... You can't possibly work on 1000s of articles at the same time. This is where decision-making comes into play and data helps. You can use data to guide your decisions under uncertainty. That's the keyword: uncertainty. There is no need to use data if you are 100% about something.
In reality, there are many scenarios where you don't know much. Anything can reduce your uncertainty so you can and should use data when possible. For life-death situations or when you already know too much, just do it, trust your gut feelings. Do nothing which is of no use. - Miyamoto Musashi SEO For Large WebsitesNo one really talks about large websites. Yes OK, you may read the usual article about crawling big websites, fair enough. SEO alone isn't as profitable and convenient as you think. Many problems overlap and at that point, you can't get away with "I only do SEO". A big part of it involves crunching a lot of data to get something in exchange (hopefully). In most cases, something as simple as using Google Search Console API does the trick. Can you believe many big websites don't use even use data to their advantage? It's like owning a house on the beach and renting an apartment in summer instead. Other major players, such as Dotdash Meredith and Red Ventures do use data and this is going to be the major focus of today's newsletter. Who Are We Talking About?Dotdash Meredith (DDM) and Red Ventures (RV) are among the media companies that rule the world. Yes, because the toughest SEO game is mostly played in the US (or anglophone countries). DDM owns websites such as Investopedia and Lifewire, Red Ventures owns Healthline and CNET. This is only a small fraction of their total power. Such big players are the ideal candidates to discuss data because:
Both companies offer additional digital services that exploit their big datasets and technical expertise. So they don't only publish content, as many think. โ ๏ธ Disclaimer: RV & DDM don't only use SEO data... they combine everything they've got! This issue isn't only about SEO data then. ๐ง Decision-Making Is A Science - Red Ventures (RV)Content goliaths rely on solid engineering and complex models to make decisions across a wide array of assets. Some articles from Medium disclose that Red Ventures is particularly interested in testing ads positions or buttons. A/B testing is an area I should study because it's extremely useful! But this article showcases an alternative method too! When you run a ton of websites, even a small difference may affect your earnings and this is one of those textbook cases. Not only that, RV is a master in managing marketing data to increase customer lifetime value and retention. More details in this technical case study by Fivetran. RV has a division called Red Digital that offers marketing services But let's not forget that Red Ventures is based on SEO, as they do a lot of money with affiliate links and referrals. Imagine owning Healthline and steering users to Healthgrades, a data platform for health systems. Oh wait, they already do!? You see, integrating data and SEO is extremely powerful because it allows you to find new opportunities and use the data you get. Just think about all the data they own... In an era where Apple and regulators are destroying traditional ads, this is the way to do it. Yes, engaging customers the traditional way and bypassing cookies is a great idea. ๐ฆ Exploit Your Assets Like There Was No Tomorrow - Dotdash Meredith (DDM)Dotdash Meredith has a solution called Data Studio which is how they are able to create new content opportunities. That's how they are able to steer many of their decisions and rely on their first-party data. In SEO we talk about pointless details such as Semrush/Ahrefs data when businesses have much more to offer. Dotdash Meredith is an example of "the solution is within". Not only that but also D/Cipher, another DDM project to connect advertisers to consumers in key moments of intent. (They do label pages as I ALWAYS suggest you.)
Now, imagine owning some of the biggest brands in the world, how much data would you have? A lot! DDM has gone beyond cookie/audience-based marketing for something rarer and much more profitable. This is a clear competitive advantage compared to solely relying on cookies in 2023. Nonetheless, DDM reported a 15% drop in earnings in Q1 2023 and it also looks like they did extensive content pruning. To provide you with context, Dotdash merged with Meredith in 2021 and they thought it well to do some pruning. Useless content costs money and resources and that's what I usually recommend you do with big websites. It's also interesting to notice how they used NLP (Natural Language Processing) to label and classify data. ๐ฃ Scaling Data - Vox Media[Surprise! I also talk about Vox Media, another big player in the media game!] Vox Media is a good example of making data available across an entire company. As mentioned in this interview (2019), they built small tools and made sure to clean data! Hey, I already talked about data cleaning in Seotistics issue #3... ๐ก I urge you to spend some time reading that interview because it's extremely educational. It outlines the importance of communication and how to turn data into information. Once you get this information, all that matters is being able to use it. And what do they do in practice? ๐ They have a data warehouse, i.e. a magic place where they store all of their data. In 2022, Vox Media acquired Group Nine Media, another data-driven company (ugh I hate this term). Integrating 2 data stacks is hard but I won't bother you with the technical details. According to this recent interview, Vox Media is currently using BigQuery. ๐ซ Where Many FailI have to say that many people confuse being good at coding with Analytics or even worse, Data Science. If you code a web app that has nothing to do with data. I see businesses falling for this trap as many often mislabel roles. This is what you need to know:
The big brands I mentioned above largely rely on decision theory and complex systems to make decisions. You shouldn't complicate things but sometimes life isn't that easy either. The most common issue I noticed is that people misjudge data and think it's the ultimate source of truth. It's not, everything is subjective and susceptible to bias. ๐งต The Common ThreadDotdash Meredith, Red Ventures and Vox Media share the same similarities: they are powered by data. The ads industry is facing a lot of changes and consistent disruption and having 1st party data is the key to being successful. But this is an SEO & Analytics newsletter, I don't want to bother you with details. Being able to use SEO data and combine them with other sources allows you to generate ideas at scale. Not only that, you can optimize the impossible with the right systems. There is another detail that must not be skipped... execution speed. ๐ฉฒ The whole point about data-informed SEO is the speed at which you decide and execute.
Analytics should boost your performance, making your SEO easier than other organizations. ๐ค The Power Of ExplainabilityA key point for large companies is explainability. What's the point of creating complex models if you can't explain them to executives? Some interview questions at Red Ventures were about explaining models to executives. "How would you explain this model to an executive?" This newsletter is about Analytics and the idea is the same. Any data field requires you to be proficient at communication.
What's the point of creating something your client can't use? This is one of the hardest pills to swallow but will skyrocket your results. Focus on practicality and what you can do after. ๐งฎ Actionable SEO Tip - Start TodayNo matter your size, you should leverage your assets. Data happens to be one of them, among other things. Depending on the size of your website, the situation looks something like this:
Many SEOs usually work with small-medium websites so the operations required are simple. Data wrangling and visualization often do the trick. ๐ก The SEO InsightsAfter all these Google Updates, it's pretty clear that relying on SEO alone is the most dangerous thing you can do. It's easier to do SEO once you nurture multiple channels and get even more data. Doing the right things isn't enough if you have larger websites because they get more complex. This complexity requires some way of simplifying decision-making and a good dose of methodology. Red Ventures and DotDash Meredith have standardized procedures and advanced data solutions to simplify their processes. Many businesses could start storing all of their data and focus some time on Analytics to get some quick wins.
You don't need to create a complex infrastructure, something as easy as using your data is enough. It's better to take small steps rather than play the waiting game. This is also evidence that having data can make you rich. Being close to people, nurturing a community and listening to their needs trumps content farms and the average niche website. Google is clearly headed in that direction, even though this should be common business logic. ๐ The Hidden WorkThe sources I have listed above don't disclose super-specific details but generic information. The work of these companies involves every stage of Analytics, including Predictive and Prescriptive. My work is mostly Business, Descriptive and Prescriptive but such companies require EVERYTHING. Some information is not available to us mortals, so the only choice we have is to test and find innovative ways to get more out of data. Based on what we know:
For us SEOs, this is a good chance to keep working with data and educating data professionals with our niche expertise. Other companies such as Wise and Facile use SEO data to their advantage... here's an example from Facile (in Italian). ๐งต My Selection Of Twitter ThreadsA quick recap for those who haven't read them all or need a refresher:
๐ฅ Launching a Community (Join The Waitlist)We have launched our Discord community and I will contact every person who hasn't joined yet. Our goal is to encourage actual SEO testing and building meaningful connections.
๐ Analytics For SEO Ebook (v3) - 43% Off!!!This ebook is aimed at SEOs or Business Owners who want to explore the combination of SEO and Analytics. If you want to start building your data empire, this is the (initial) path to take. [43% price drop until June 17, only $39.99] It will teach you or your employees to: ๐ Avoid common pitfalls that cost you money ๐ธ ๐ Create meaningful analyses that add value ๐ฏ ๐ Shorten the learning time of Analytics โณ This comes with monthly updates because I want to create the Ultimate Guide out there. The May update includes the following new information: โ Detecting Keyword Cannibalization (The Actual One) - Use Case 6 โ Statistics 101 (Small Update) โ Updates For Use Cases 2 and 5 โ Introduction to R โ Brief Introduction to Joins (More in v4) โ N-grams and How You Can Use Them
v4 (End of June) will feature:
v5 (End of July) and will feature:
๐ Recommended ReadsThese Analytics books are among the best out there. If you want to think like a true Analyst, look no further.
โ๏ธ Feedback and RecommendationsIf you have ideas/recommendations for the next issues of Seotistics, you can simply reply to this email. Marco Giordano Follow me on ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฝ: |
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Seotistics - Web Analytics + Business + Strategy
The Seotistics newsletter is written by Marco Giordano, a Data/Web Analyst with the goal of combining business and web data. Tired of the usual boring Analytics content without any business impact? Seotistics teaches you how to use Analytics, web data and even content in your workflow while helping you with Strategy.
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