Grumpy SEO Guy Podcast Summary

Episode: Doin' SEO: A Day in the Life. And a Question From Patreon, PBNs and OBL - Episode 104
Release Date: April 16, 2025
Host: Grumpy SEO Guy

1. A Day in the Life of an SEO Consultant

In this episode, Grumpy SEO Guy delves into the daily operations of running a successful SEO agency. Contrary to the structured 9-to-5 routine typical of many employees, his days are highly variable, often spanning four to ten hours depending on the tasks at hand.

• Morning Routine:
  Grumpy SEO Guy emphasizes that his day doesn't kick off until around 11 or 12 PM, allowing him to fully engage once he's mentally prepared. Unlike the conventional early riser, he prefers to start his workday later, catering to his personal productivity rhythms.

  "I don't really start my day until probably 11 or 12. I've probably checked email before then, but I can't really focus on anything until around then." [03:30]

• Meetings and Zoom Fatigue:
  He typically spends zero to three hours in meetings each day, predominantly via Zoom. He candidly shares his struggle with Zoom fatigue, noting that an excessive number of virtual meetings can significantly reduce his overall productivity.

  "Zoom meetings are very exhausting for me. So if I have a lot of meetings in one day, I probably won't do much else that day." [05:45]

• Core Responsibilities:
  Beyond meetings, his responsibilities include content creation for his own sites, conducting in-depth SEO research for clients, and staying updated with the latest SEO trends by browsing forums and news sites. Additionally, he dedicates around 10 hours a week to producing and editing podcast episodes, underscoring his commitment to providing valuable, no-nonsense SEO insights.

  "Sometimes the research is a big deal. We're doing research for a client, maybe their website, their competition, their backlinks, like whatever." [08:20]

2. The Myth of the Early Riser for Success

A significant portion of the episode challenges the widely propagated notion that waking up at 4 AM is a cornerstone of success. Grumpy SEO Guy shares his personal ordeal with adopting an early morning routine, which ultimately proved detrimental to his productivity.

• Personal Experience:
  He recounts his attempt to become a morning person, which lasted about a month and resulted in minimal productivity gains.

  "I actually tried to do the get up at 4 o'clock in the morning thing. I think I did it for like a month. It was extremely difficult." [01:30]

• Individual Differences:
  Grumpy SEO Guy asserts that productivity is inherently personal. Forcing oneself into a rigid schedule that doesn't align with their natural rhythms can be counterproductive. He advocates for recognizing and leveraging one's peak productivity times, whether they're early birds or night owls.

  "If you are a morning person, be a morning person, okay? If getting up at four in the morning sounds like a terrible idea, maybe don't get up at 4 in the morning." [02:45]

• Quality Over Ritual:
  He emphasizes that success stems from finding effective personal strategies rather than adhering to generic advice. The key takeaway is to prioritize what genuinely enhances one's productivity and well-being over conforming to popular myths.

  "The reason they're successful is not because they're waking up early, okay? They're successful because they have found something that works for them." [03:15]

3. Patreon Question: PBNs and Outbound Links (OBLs)

Addressing a query from a Patreon supporter, Grumpy SEO Guy explores the intricacies of Private Blog Networks (PBNs) and the strategic use of outbound links (OBLs).

• Understanding Outbound Links vs. Backlinks:
  He begins by clarifying the difference between outbound links and backlinks, ensuring listeners grasp the foundational concepts before delving into the main question.

  "An outbound link is a link from a website. So a backlink is a link to a website, and an outbound link is a link from a website." [06:10]

• Diminishing Returns of Outbound Links from PBNs:
  The core of the discussion revolves around whether excessive outbound links from a PBN can lead to diminishing returns. Grumpy SEO Guy dispels the myth that too many outbound links inherently dilute a website's "link juice." Instead, he stresses the importance of maintaining a natural and varied linking structure to avoid being flagged as a link farm—websites overloaded with outbound links that serve no substantive purpose.

  "If you are not a morning person, do not force yourself to become a Morning person... So, as long as it doesn't feel forced, right, and you're not approaching, like, link farm territory, it's probably fine." [09:15]

• Best Practices for Outbound Links:
  He advises maintaining a reasonable number of outbound links per post—suggesting three or fewer—while remaining flexible based on the content's context. Additionally, there's no strict cap on the total number of outbound links a site can have, as long as they are contextually relevant and contribute value. For example, having 10 outbound links per site aligns with his agency's practices, tailored to their specific theme and content management system.

  "If you've got like a post on your site, right? On your PBN. If you've got, you know, let's say 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 outbound links from it, I'm sure that's fine..." [12:00]
  "I have mentioned on previous episodes that we like to do 10 outbound links from a website, but that was because of the nature of the theme and the content management system that we were using." [14:25]

• Impact on Client Sites:
  Addressing concerns about the effectiveness of PBN backlinks for client websites, Grumpy SEO Guy draws an analogy to a race—emphasizing that accumulating high-quality backlinks continuously enhances a site's authority without reaching a point of diminishing returns. The focus should be on the quality rather than the quantity of backlinks, ensuring that each link contributes positively to the site's SEO performance.

  "As long as they are great quality backlinks... no, there's no diminishing returns. It's only going to help you as long as they are great quality backlinks." [16:40]

Key Takeaways

• Personal Productivity:
  Success isn't one-size-fits-all. Grumpy SEO Guy advocates for discovering and optimizing personal productivity patterns rather than adhering to generic advice like waking up at 4 AM.

• Outbound Links Strategy:
  When utilizing PBNs, maintain a natural and varied outbound linking structure. Avoid excessive links that could categorize your site as a link farm. Focus on quality over quantity to ensure backlinks remain effective and beneficial.

• Flexibility in SEO Practices:
  The SEO landscape is dynamic, and strategies should be adaptable. Continuous research, staying updated with trends, and tailoring practices to individual client needs are crucial for sustained success.

This episode offers invaluable insights into the nuanced world of SEO consulting, debunking common myths and providing actionable strategies for both aspiring and seasoned SEO professionals.