SEO 101 Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast Information:
- Title: SEO 101
- Host/Author: WMR.FM
- Hosts: Ross Dunn (CEO of Stepforth Web Marketing) and Scott Vanack (Senior SEO at Stepforth Web Marketing)
- Episode Title: Google Breadcrumb Removal, JavaScript Tool Disruptions, AI News and Enforcement Updates
- Release Date: February 3, 2025
1. Introduction and Host Banter
Timestamp: 00:52 - 01:50
Ross Dunn and Scott Vanack kick off the episode with a casual conversation about productivity and the challenges of feeling accomplished amidst a busy workload. Ross mentions the difficulties of tracking progress and feeling pulled in multiple directions, a sentiment both hosts resonate with. This segment sets a relatable tone for listeners who juggle numerous tasks in the SEO landscape.
2. SEO News
a. Google Removes Breadcrumbs from Mobile SERPs
Timestamp: 01:50 - 03:04
Scott Vanack introduces a significant update: Google has removed breadcrumb links from its mobile search engine result pages (SERPs). Originally introduced in 2009, breadcrumbs provided additional navigation links alongside the standard URL display. Ross adds that this change is part of Google's effort to optimize mobile real estate, especially with the increasing number of ads on mobile SERPs.
Notable Quote:
Scott Vanack [02:05]: "They are now removing that... it will remain in desktop. It's only being pulled from mobile only, mostly because they weren't providing much value, according to Google."
b. Yahoo Search AI Developments
Timestamp: 03:02 - 07:31
Ross and Scott delve into the enigmatic updates surrounding Yahoo Search's foray into AI. Despite Yahoo's sporadic announcements hinting at revitalizing its search engine with AI capabilities, tangible progress remains elusive. Ross shares insights from a recent conversation with a former Yahoo programmer, highlighting skepticism about Yahoo's ability to independently innovate in the AI landscape. They speculate that Yahoo might leverage existing AI platforms like OpenAI to enhance their search functionalities.
Notable Quotes:
Ross Dunn [04:49]: "They are not there for anybody anymore. So you don't have to go back and call your SEO and be like, my breadcrumbs are gone."
Scott Vanack [07:01]: "What Yahoo should do is they should create a directory and charge $300 a year to be listed in it. That would be revolutionary."
c. Google’s JavaScript Requirement Disrupts SEO Tools
Timestamp: 07:57 - 11:37
A major development in the SEO tools ecosystem occurred when Google enforced a change requiring JavaScript to be enabled for search functionalities. This shift inadvertently disrupted numerous SEO tools that didn't support JavaScript, leading to a temporary blackout in data reporting. Scott recounts experiencing a sudden drop of 100 points in client rankings across multiple tools, a clear indicator of the widespread impact.
Notable Quotes:
Scott Vanack [07:57]: "Google made a big change on January 15th. Impacted a ton of tools. They were forcing users to have JavaScript turned on in order to use search."
Ross Dunn [08:22]: "I just hope SEMrush doesn't think of updating, increasing their prices. It's already very high."
Ross and Scott discuss the rationale behind Google's move, citing Patrick Hathaway of Site Bulb, who suggests that Google aims to protect its data from being harvested by large language models (LLMs). The hosts also touch upon the potential for increased costs in SEO tools due to the added complexity of handling JavaScript.
3. Enforcement Updates
Google Expands Site Reputation Abuse Enforcement to Germany
Timestamp: 11:50 - 14:24
Ross announces Google's expansion of site reputation abuse enforcement to European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. This move targets tactics where third-party content leverages the authority of established sites to gain unwarranted SEO benefits. Christian Kunz, a German blogger, shared with Barry Schwartz that Google has begun implementing manual actions against such abuses, resulting in cleaner SERPs devoid of low-quality third-party content.
Notable Quotes:
Ross Dunn [14:24]: "Essentially, site reputation abuse is a tactic where third-party content is published on a host site mainly because of that host's already established ranking signals."
Christian Kunz [14:24]: "Google has probably taken its first manual actions in Germany against site reputation abuse."
4. AI News
a. Google AI Overviews Now Provide Programming Help
Timestamp: 14:33 - 17:31
Scott highlights an exciting update where Google's AI Overviews now offer programming assistance directly within search results. This feature delivers code snippets and examples based on user queries, streamlining the coding process for developers seeking quick solutions. Ross tests the feature by searching for markup code examples and praises its efficiency, though they ponder the long-term impact on coding communities like Stack Exchange.
Notable Quotes:
Scott Vanack [16:07]: "When performing a search in Google for programming help, you'll now start to see coding examples and help within AI Overviews."
Ross Dunn [17:31]: "I think it's a great feature for anyone that does any kind of coding and you need a quick little snippet of code."
b. Deepseek: A Disruptive AI Model from China
Timestamp: 17:31 - 25:53
Ross introduces Deepseek, a new large language model (LLM) developed in Beijing, China. What sets Deepseek apart is its "mixture of experts" architecture, which leverages multiple specialized networks to enhance learning efficiency and reduce computational costs. Impressively, Deepseek achieved performance parity or superiority to OpenAI's models with a training cost of under $6 million, compared to OpenAI's hundreds of millions. This breakthrough could democratize advanced AI development, though concerns about privacy and censorship linger given its open-source nature.
Notable Quotes:
Ross Dunn [18:07]: "The company has said that... the training of Deepseek version 3... required less than $6 million worth of computing power from Nvidia H800 chips."
Ross Dunn [22:10]: "It's open source. So what? This is something like... Deepseek... being open source, that's pretty amazing."
The hosts express amazement at the cost-efficiency and potential of Deepseek, while also highlighting the lack of privacy measures, cautioning users against inputting sensitive information.
5. Mueller Files
John Mueller on Dynamically Updating Robots.txt to Limit Crawling
Timestamp: 25:53 - 28:38
In this segment, the hosts discuss a query addressed by Google’s John Mueller regarding the strategy of dynamically updating the robots.txt file to control crawling during peak times. The question involved blocking Googlebot in the mornings and allowing access in the afternoons to manage server load. Mueller advises against this approach, noting that Google caches the robots.txt file for up to 24 hours, rendering daily updates ineffective.
Notable Quotes:
John Mueller [26:48]: "Google caches the robots TXT for up to 24 hours, so they wouldn't see that change every day anyways."
Ross Dunn [27:58]: "So I don't think there's any real reason why you'd ever want to block Google unless you don't want your stuff indexed."
Mueller recommends using HTTP status codes like 503 (Service Unavailable) or 429 (Too Many Requests) for temporary crawl limitations and emphasizes that such measures should only be used sparingly to avoid unintended consequences on site indexing.
6. Additional Insights and Listener Engagement
a. Praise for SEMrush Customer Support
Timestamp: 28:38 - 30:48
Scott shares a positive experience with SEMrush’s customer support, specifically commending a representative named Nico for his efficient and effective assistance. This segment underscores the importance of reliable customer service in the SEO tools industry.
Notable Quote:
Scott Vanack [29:54]: "Nico was just totally awesome. I actually told him, I'm going to give you a shout out on the next episode because I was... I've never been that impressed with an online chat tech support person before."
Ross humorously speculates whether Nico might be an AI, reflecting on advancements in customer service automation.
b. Fun Segment Idea: SEO 101, 2002 Edition
Timestamp: 30:48 - 31:37
Ross and Scott brainstorm a playful idea to create an episode mimicking the style of an early 2000s SEO podcast, complete with cheesy soundtracks and nostalgic content. This light-hearted discussion aims to engage listeners with a potential future episode that offers a trip down memory lane.
Conclusion
Ross and Scott wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to subscribe to their Show Notes newsletter and tune into future weekly episodes on WMR.FM. They maintain an engaging and personable tone throughout, ensuring that both SEO novices and seasoned professionals find value in their discussions.
Key Takeaways:
- Google's Mobile SERP Optimization: Removal of breadcrumbs simplifies mobile search results but minimally impacts SEO.
- Yahoo's AI Search Endeavors: Skepticism remains about Yahoo’s ability to independently innovate in AI-powered search.
- Impact of Google's JavaScript Enforcement: Temporary disruption in SEO tools highlights the importance of tool flexibility and adaptation.
- Expansion of Site Reputation Enforcement: Google's proactive measures against reputation abuse aim to maintain SERP integrity in Europe.
- Advancements in AI: Innovations like Deepseek demonstrate significant strides in cost-efficient AI development, though concerns about privacy persist.
- Best Practices for Crawling Control: Dynamic
robots.txtupdates are ineffective; prefer using appropriate HTTP status codes for managing crawl rates.
Notable Quotes Recap:
- Scott Vanack [02:05]: "Google is protecting themselves against LLMs training their data sets."
- Ross Dunn [17:31]: "It's a great feature for anyone that does any kind of coding and you need a quick little snippet of code."
- John Mueller [26:48]: "Google caches the robots TXT for up to 24 hours, so they wouldn't see that change every day anyways."
Stay Informed: For more insights and updates on SEO best practices, subscribe to the SEO 101 Show Notes newsletter at seo101radio.com and listen to upcoming episodes on WMR.FM.