Chris Turnbull: Navigating The Changing Landscape of Local SEO
Episode: Unscripted SEO Podcast Host: Jeremy Rivera - Unscripted Podcast Guest: Chris Turnbull, Founder of Catalyst Marketing Duration: ~45 minutes
Episode Description
Join Jeremy Rivera as he sits down with Chris Turnbull, founder of Catalyst Marketing, for an unfiltered discussion about how SEO has evolved over the past 13 years. From Google's monopolistic behavior to the rise of AI overviews, this conversation explores why local SEO has remained surprisingly stable while broader search continues to fragment across multiple platforms.
Chris shares insights from his journey from apprentice SEO to agency founder, specializing in performance marketing for local service businesses. The duo dives deep into the breakdown of traditional content marketing, the rise of user-generated content, and why Reddit posts now carry the same weight as backlinks from 2015.
Key Topics Covered
The Google Monopoly & Search Evolution
How Google evolved from "organizing the world's data" to "being the world's data"
The enshitification of search results and AI overview accuracy issues
Why we've become "beta testers" for tech corporations
The removal of search liaison positions and lack of feedback loops
Local SEO: What's Changed vs. What Hasn't
Why local SEO fundamentals from 2008 still work today
The continued importance of Google Business Profile, citations, and reviews
How LLMs heavily weight reviews and local mentions
Digital PR as the evolution of community involvement
The Content Creation Paradox
Google's contradictory demand to "create content for humans" while using bots to consume it
The problem of trillion duplicate articles from marketing agencies
How algorithm updates have created unsustainable content cycles
The information contamination problem with...
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Exploring Entity Optimization and AI with Jason Barnard
Unscripted SEO Show Notes: Entity Optimization with Jason Barnard
Episode Overview
Jeremy Rivera interviews Jason Barnard of KaliCube about entity optimization, AI assistive engines, and the future of search. This conversation explores practical strategies for controlling your digital footprint and optimizing for modern search systems.Explore the COMPLETE Episode, and read the deep dive on SEO Arcade for further topical exploration in the same field of entities, Ai and SEO.
Guest Bio: Jason Barnard
Jason Barnard is the founder of KaliCube and a pioneer in entity optimization. He started in 1998 with a children's website that grew to one billion page views in 2007, competing with BBC and PBS. In 2012, he successfully changed Google's perception of him from "cartoon blue dog" to "respected entrepreneur and digital marketer" - becoming one of the first to master entity transformation.
Related Episodes You'll Love
️ Similar Deep Dives: If you enjoyed this conversation about entities and AI, check out our interview with Mark Williams Cook on technical SEO innovations where we explored how machine learning is reshaping technical optimization strategies.
️ Foundational Concepts: For more on search evolution and brand building, don't miss our conversation with Rand Fishkin on the future of SEO. Rand's perspective on sustainable organic growth strategies pairs perfectly with Jason's entity optimization methodology.
Key Takeaways
The Algorithmic Trinity: All modern AI systems (Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity) are built on three core technologies - LLM chatbots, knowledge graphs, and search results - all fed from the same data source: the web. Controlling your digital footprint impacts all three simultaneously.
Entity Optimization Timeline: Search results update within a week, knowledge graphs take about three months to reflect changes, while LLM training data requires up to a year. Understanding these timelines helps set realistic expectations for entity optimization campaigns.
Industry-Specific Authority Matters: Authority isn't universal - IMDB dominates for movies, Crunchbase for business, legal directories for law. The key is identifying which platforms algorithms trust within your specific industry rather than chasing generic high-authority domains.
The Claim-Frame-Prove Method: Establishing expertise requires making a claim, framing it within existing knowledge structures, the...
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Internal Linking, SME Interviews, and Platform Diversification: Daniel Horowitz's Modern SEO Playbook
Guest Information
Daniel Horowitz Senior SEO Manager at Informatica Connect: LinkedIn
Episode Summary
Daniel Horowitz shares his decade-long journey in SEO, from agency-side link building campaigns to managing enterprise SEO at Informatica. We dive deep into the impact of Google's Helpful Content Update, the shift from traffic-focused to conversion-focused strategies, and practical tactics that still work in the AI-dominated search landscape.
Key Takeaways
The traditional SEO content model is dead, especially for volume-based sites
Enterprise SEO success now depends on cross-functional collaboration and subject matter expert interviews
Internal linking remains one of the most underutilized yet effective strategies
Platform diversification is essential as Google transitions to being an answer engine
Community-driven digital PR creates more valuable signals than traditional link building
Episode Timestamps
[00:01] - Introductions and Daniel's background at Informatica [00:42] - Link building experiences with Shopify Exchange project [02:09] - Evolution from link building to enterprise SEO strategies [03:39] - Digital PR vs traditional link building approaches [07:02] - Google's maker sessions and the "answer engine" revelation [08:13] - The Helpful Content Update's devastating impact on travel blogging [09:03] - Enterprise SEO evangelism and cross-functional collaboration [11:50] - Subject Matter Expert (SME) interview series strategy [15:05] - Moving beyond basic keyword-focused content [15:48] - Transitioning from blogs to resource pages and use cases [19:00] - Justifying content marketing spend with declining traffic [21:39] - Cross-channel marketing and sentiment analysis [25:28] - Platform diversification beyond Google [29:54] - The future of SEO in an AI-dominated world [37:13] - Actionable advice: The power of internal linking
Topics Discussed
Link Building Evolution
Shopify Exchange outreach campaigns
Local directory and publication resistance
The shift from tactical links to semantic search understanding
Digital PR becoming more important than traditional link building
Enterprise SEO Strategy
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LinkedIn SEO Secrets: How Daniel Alfon Turns Profiles Into Lead Generation Machines
Summary
In this UnscriptedSEO conversation, Jeremy Rivera and LinkedIn expert Daniel Alfon discuss the often-overlooked potential of LinkedIn as a powerful SEO tool.
They explore the evolution of social media, the importance of authority and identity on LinkedIn, and strategies for targeting the right audience. The discussion also covers the nuances of B2B versus B2C marketing, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, the significance of recommendations, and the differences between posting articles and posts. Alfon emphasizes the importance of understanding user behavior on LinkedIn and how to convert connections into meaningful business relationships.
Takeaways
LinkedIn is often underestimated as an SEO tool.
Most users treat LinkedIn as a static resume.
A mismatch between online presence and real-life personality can hinder success.
Authority on LinkedIn can significantly impact visibility.
Profiles are more important than content posting for success.
Recommendations enhance credibility and trust.
Understanding your audience is key to effective marketing.
Content shelf life determines whether to post or write an article.
User-generated content can boost SEO visibility.
Conversion strategies should focus on moving users to your own domain.
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Video SEO & WordPress Technical Optimization: Expert Insights from Anthony Prichard and Paritosh Pareek
Summary
In this episode of the Unscripted SEO podcast, Keith Breseé hosts Paritosh Pareek and Anthony Prichard from WP Sprints to discuss the critical aspects of SEO, particularly focusing on technical SEO and video strategies for local businesses. They explore the importance of optimizing video content for search engines, common mistakes made in WordPress SEO, and the role of AI in content creation. The conversation emphasizes the need for businesses to adapt to changing SEO landscapes and leverage video as a powerful tool for building trust and visibility online.
Takeaways
Video SEO is crucial for local businesses.
Optimizing video titles and descriptions can enhance search visibility.
Technical SEO mistakes can severely impact website performance.
AI tools can assist in content creation but should not replace human oversight.
Building trust through video content is essential for conversions.
Local businesses should utilize video to engage their audience effectively.
WordPress users often overlook basic SEO settings that hinder performance.
Choosing the right hosting can affect website speed and SEO rankings.
Content that answers user questions is more likely to convert.
AI can streamline content creation but requires careful implementation.
Hosted by Jeremy Rivera: A 17 year career expert in the SEO industry and his cohost Keith Bresee. Get insights, action items and anecdotes from experts like Lilyray, Kevin Indig, Rand Fishkin, Matt Mellinger and more in the SEO industry, who are not only well-respected, but have really interesting stories to share. 100% unscripted, 100% unrehearsed, 100% unedited, and 100% real. Guaranteed to provide those golden nugget lightbulb moments.
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