Bill’s guests are Fran Lebowitz, Jonathan Metzl, James Kirchick, George Packer, and Neera Tanden. (Originally aired 5/17/19)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The post Ep. #496: Fran Lebowitz, Jonathan Metzl appeared first on Buy It At A Bargain – Deals And Reviews.
Audi will partner with Sauber’s Formula One outfit, which currently races as Alfa Romeo, in 2026.
The post Audi to partner with Sauber for F1 2026 entry appeared first on Buy It At A Bargain – Deals And Reviews.
Occasionally, Google rolls out their spam update which just ensures that the results on Google aren’t filled with spam.
Because if a user clicks on a spammy result, and if this continually happens, it creates a terrible experience and people would stop using Google.
They don’t give much detail on the spam update on their website, but luckily for you, we have two things that help us determine what the changes were.
The first thing we have is we track over 900 million domains on the web, so this allows us to see patterns.
The second, which is more relevant for this update is at our agency, NP Digital, we have 100 experimental sites that use AI-written content. The purpose of those sites isn’t to “game” Google, they are more so to figure out how Google perceives AI-written content. And I will go into more detail on what happened with those sites later in this post as the results were interesting.
As in the name, Google’s main goal is to reduce spam. Now they have multiple types of spam updates, such as in July 2021 they had a link spam update.
This update didn’t specify if it was link spam-related or just overall spam.
But when we look at the 900 million plus domains we track, here are the categories that got affected the most in a negative way globally.
As you can see from the chart above, news and sports sites got affected the most. Followed closely by arts and entertainment and technology and community sites.
Most of these sites are heavy content-based and not product oriented.
When we looked at the sites affected here’s what we found:
As you know there are many other factors in SEO. We just couldn’t find any other major patterns. From a surface level, some of the things they looked at seem kind of similar to the helpful content update.
We also looked at the backlinks of the sites that lost the most traffic we couldn’t find any patterns. Now, this doesn’t mean Google did or didn’t look at links as a factor of spam in this update, more so we just didn’t see any patterns.
Now here is where it gets interesting…
Remember how I mentioned that we have 100 AI-generated websites? They are in a variety of industries, and they all have over 60 pages of content if not more that are all AI-generated, and of course, we manually built links (didn’t buy them, and you shouldn’t ever buy links) so that it would help the sites rank.
And in reality, we actually have over 681 AI-generated sites, but most of them don’t get enough SEO traffic. For example, when a site only gets 1,000 visitors a month from Google it is too hard to see patterns as visitor counts drastically change from day to day.
But 100 of the AI-driven sites generate at least 3,000 visitors a month from Google.
None of the sites sell anything or collect leads, they are just informational sites in different industries.
Now of the 100 AI content-generated sites, 53 have their content created purely through AI. And they also have their meta tags and even the headings within the article all created by AI.
Those pages don’t link out to other sites or even internal pages as AI content generation tools don’t really add links.
One thing to note is that most of the AI tools don’t really create content over 500 words unless you start adjusting the content or have the AI writer create content a paragraph at a time.
But for the first batch of AI sites (53 of them), we didn’t have humans modify or change up any of the content. We purely used the content that was created by AI in the form it was created including the meta tags the AI writer created.
Now in the second batch, we had 47 sites, on these sites we used AI to create the content, but then we had a human modify the content to ensure it was better and provided more value. Humans also added internal and external links, they modified the meta tags to be more user-friendly, and they added images and embed videos within the article when it made sense.
The one thing we didn’t do was increase the length much. Because from what we see from our Ubersuggest AI Writer most people just use AI-written content and don’t modify it much. When they do modify it, it tends to be slightly, and people really aren’t adding much in word count.
With our sites, we wanted to replicate what most marketers are doing with AI to get a sense of what Google is trying to solve.
Can you guess what happened to those sites?
The first group of AI-written content, which had no human intervention when it comes to modifying the content didn’t perform as well as the ones that had human intervention.
In essence, they saw on average a 17.29% drop in traffic and their keyword rankings dropped on average by 7.9 positions. Keep in mind that may seem like a lot but none of them really had number 1 rankings for any popular term.
The second group saw a 6.38% drop in traffic and on average a drop in ranking position by 3.3 positions.
But then when we dug deeper because I was curious to see the results for each site, we noticed that not all the sites were hit by the update.
Of the first group of 53 sites, in which the content was NOT adjusted by humans, 14 of them were hit by the update and saw traffic dips between 31.44% and 73.18%. On average the 14 sites lost 51.65% of their traffic.
From the second group, which had humans slightly modify the content, 8 sites were hit. They lost between 29.52% and 81.43% of their traffic. On average those 8 sites saw a 42.17% drop in traffic.
Now what’s funny is some of the other sites in both buckets saw smaller traffic drops such as a few percentage points and a few even saw slight traffic increase from SEO traffic by up to 4% when you compare pre-update and post-update traffic as it took 48 hours for the update to roll out.
But here is where it gets interesting, in the first group of the 14 sites that were affected, 13 of them also saw traffic drops from the helpful content update. And from the second group, all 8 of the sites were hit by the helpful content update.
One thing to note is that there weren’t tons of days of data post update from when Google finished rolling things out to when I released this blog post. And I didn’t want to compare Sunday traffic with Wednesday traffic. As you need to look at Sunday versus last Sunday to remove biasedness. Nonetheless, the above stats are what we saw and the ranking drops also confirm that these sites were hit by the update.
From what we are seeing, the majority of this update focused on content, meta tags, and keyword stuffing. It doesn’t mean Google didn’t look at other factors such as links or duplicative content, but we saw the biggest patterns related to the factors I mentioned above and AI-generated content.
If you want to do well in the long run focus on the user, it really is the way to win. In the short run, you may not come ahead but in the long run, you will.
Just ask yourself questions like is this piece of content going to be helpful to users? Is using the same meta tags on all pages helpful? Is my website providing enough value that people will want to link to me?
In essence, you are just spot-checking yourself and doing what’s best for users.
What did you see from the Google spam update?
Your agency has become the GOAT of pay-per-click (PPC), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing (SMM), or another digital marketing service.
Now you want to step into the world of SEO.
To provide SEO services to your clients, you need a strong team. After all, as Google’s algorithm grows increasingly complex, so does SEO.
Luckily, there’s a way you can offer SEO services without having all the expertise.
The answer is an SEO reseller.
Reseller SEO services can help your agency with every aspect of optimization. Simply put, SEO resellers handle your clients’ SEO campaigns on your behalf. That way, you can add to the range of services your agency already provides without the cost of building a team of SEO experts.
I know you’ve got big goals. Using reseller SEO services for agencies can help you reach them.
Let’s get you started with SEO reselling and discuss its advantages.
Competition among SEO agencies is fierce. An SEO reseller will help you keep up.
Having industry-leading experts in your corner is key. You’ll be able to tap into a whole range of reseller SEO services, including:
Link building: The big money for SEO resellers comes from this. Outsourcing backlinking efforts to a reseller has major advantages, as link building is a labor-intensive process. Resellers use a variety of strategies—everything from outreach and guest posts to correcting broken links.
Website analysis and SEO audits: A fresh campaign often starts with an on-page SEO evaluation. SEO resellers can identify prospects for quick wins by assessing a site’s SEO health.
Keyword research: Allow SEO resellers to identify profitable keywords on your agency’s behalf rather than try to make sense of data from SEO tools on your own.
Content creation: To assist you in producing content at scale, several businesses additionally employ in-house copywriting expertise or vetted contractors.
Local and international SEO: SEO resellers frequently assist with the detailed, manual aspects of local and international SEO, such as Google Business Profile page optimization.
Joining forces with an SEO reseller from the best SEO agency can propel your business to the next level. A successful long-term partnership is a great source of extra income. Sometimes, two agencies combine to form a larger agency that can handle all services in-house.
Using reseller SEO services for agencies enables you to:
This type of SEO outsourcing, which you may also know as white labeling, allows marketing agencies to sell an SEO reseller’s packages as if they were the agency’s own. You can either offer the service monthly or set your own terms.
There’s a stark difference between this version and private label SEO services. The latter is packaged depending upon the specifications of the reseller, whereas the former can be customized.
SEO reselling isn’t the end-all, be-all option for agencies. You can deliver on your clients’ goals with resources outside of reseller SEO services. Alternatives include creating an in-house team or working with freelancers.
Rather expand your in-house expertise? Hire out to build your own SEO dream team. You can simultaneously keep your core competencies and enhance your offerings this way. You’ll need a mix of SEO strategists, data analysts, editors, and writers to deliver desired results for high-ranking pages and high-quality backlinks.
After forming your team of trusted experts, ensure they understand the clients’ needs and pain points to pull off SEO results that are a win-win for everyone.
You can get the equivalent of on-demand reseller SEO services through quality SEO freelancers. They are your go-to niche experts.
Freelancers can help serve numerous clients, allowing you to have SEO experts on hand. A team of freelancers in your corner for technical SEO consulting can help increase your profitability.
You can outsource your clientele’s SEO work to an SEO reseller that can also handle all your marketing requirements. Using a reseller’s private label SEO services means that the best technology and tools drive your SEO campaigns. However, working with a reseller comes with positives and downsides.
Partnering with an SEO reseller can:
1. Help You Scale Business
SEO reseller packages help expand your service offerings. It allows you to scale your business without having to do the work yourself.
As a result, you may take huge projects from major brands and businesses without worrying about how you’ll complete them. This is a big win for your agency, as SEO projects can take six months to a year to yield winning results. Plus, you won’t have to take on the huge expense of hiring an in-house team.
2. Enhance Campaign Performance
By leveraging SEO resellers for their expertise, you’re working with individuals who know your clients’ needs and work accordingly to meet their goals. With results-oriented private label SEO services, you can better communicate clear campaign results to your clients and pivot strategies if needed.
3. Give You Access to Paid SEO Tools and Platforms
To run the most effective campaigns, you need data and insights that only certain SEO tools can provide. You gain access to premium tools and platforms by working with an SEO reseller. When running data-driven initiatives, you must gauge the effectiveness of SEO KPIs ranging from conversions to bounce rate and everything in between.
Carefully selecting reseller hosting plans plays a big role in site management and reporting data on KPIs. Additionally, access to SEO tools such as Ubersuggest and Google Analytics can help measure these metrics effectively.
If you can’t afford costly software and tools, you can navigate Ubersuggest for free as you figure things out. However, this does show why an SEO reseller is so valuable: They handle all this for you.
On the other hand, you can avoid the downsides of working with SEO resellers by keeping an eye out for:
If an SEO reseller makes far-fetched promises, that’s a sign you should consider working with someone else. An example would be promising that a client will rank between positions 1 and 3 within a week. Every client’s SEO needs are unique, and it can be challenging to forecast how fast results will set in.
Trustworthy SEO companies want to be certain that their work is correctly portrayed and that they are collaborating with true experts. As a result, most SEO resellers, at the very least, include an onboarding procedure. It’s a bad sign if an SEO reseller doesn’t perform due diligence during the sign-up process.
Your SEO partner should have results to show for their work. They offer a ton of case studies that showcase their skills and the outcomes they achieved for previous clients. It’s also crucial to pay attention to testimonials. If the SEO resellers you’re vetting fall short in these areas, it’s probably best to seek out a different agency.
A partner that aligns with you and your client’s goals is essential.
Some pointers for choosing a reliable SEO reseller start with researching their past work.
Fact check the data because it says everything you need to know about your partner’s track record.
Verify whether they provide the services you require and how effective they are at executing them. Find ratings and recommendations at Capterra and on Google Business Profiles.
Analyze the metrics they use to assess their performance. Research what they measure as successful to see if their metrics also meet your value standards.
With a full-service digital marketing agency, you will likely get more out of the partnership than just SEO services and their knowledge in your niche.
An SEO reseller will serve as an extended department of your agency.
To get the job done right for your clients, consider the following when picking an SEO reseller:
During the vetting process, note how resellers communicate and how knowledgeable their teams are on your niche. Asking for everything upfront will save you time, money, and unwanted surprises.
SEO reselling provides private label SEO services to an agency for their clients’ SEO projects. These services are outsourced on behalf of an agency to benefit their clients with marketing, development, and design.
Anyone can use SEO reselling services to help them flourish in their niche. However, I highly recommend SEO reselling services for small agencies, agencies that don’t specialize in SEO, or if you’re struggling to deliver heavy-hitting SEO services to your clients.
Yes, this is kind of how the process works. If an agency needs to strengthen its SEO offerings, it can seek out a full-service agency with more SEO experts or years of experience to get quality results for its clients.
When picking an SEO reseller, I recommend you start by:
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is SEO reselling?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
SEO reselling provides private label SEO services to an agency for their clients’ SEO projects. These services are outsourced on behalf of an agency to benefit their clients with marketing, development, and design.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Who can use SEO reselling services?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
Anyone can use SEO reselling services to help them flourish in their niche. However, I highly recommend SEO reselling services for small agencies, agencies that don’t specialize in SEO, or if you’re struggling to deliver heavy-hitting SEO services to your clients.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Can one agency use another agency for SEO work?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
Yes, this is kind of how the process works. If an agency needs to strengthen its SEO offerings, it can seek out a full-service agency with more SEO experts or years of experience to get quality results for its clients.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How to pick an SEO reseller?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
When picking an SEO reseller, I recommend you start by:
”
}
}
]
}
As you grow your business, reseller SEO services can yield success for you and your clients.
Providing cutting-edge SEO services requires collaborating with a dependable partner.
Find an SEO reseller with experience in your niche and results to back up their work. Doing the homework before you lock into the agreement is worth the research.
Working with real experts will help you get your clients where they want to be with campaign performance.
Offloading SEO tasks will make sure you don’t spread yourself thin. With the help of a partnering agency, you can grow SEO as another area of expertise.
As you gradually get stronger in SEO work, you will be able to sign more clients and earn more money for both of you.
If you’ve been planning to work with an SEO reseller, what are some things your clients need? Is SEO a new area of expertise for you?