Voices of Search // SEO For Academic Journals – Detailed Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast
• Host/Author: I Hear Everything
• Episode: SEO For Academic Journals
• Release Date: January 3, 2025
• Description: Dive deep into the ever-changing world of content and search engine marketing. Discover actionable strategies and learn ways to gain insights through data that will help you navigate the topsy-turvy world of SEO.

Introduction

The episode begins with brief introductions and sponsorship mentions from Ben Shapp and Benr Shapp, highlighting the podcast network and its services. Tyson Stockton then welcomes Catherine Watier Ong, founder of WO Strategies, to discuss the intricacies of applying SEO strategies to academic journals.

Guest Introduction

[00:42] Tyson Stockton:
"Joining me today is Catherine Watier Ong, who is the founder at WO Strategies. WO Strategies is an organic traffic Marketing partner and trainer to science-based organizations. They collaborate with you and your team to ensure that you have the skills and strategy necessary to grow your organic traffic, with the goal of getting scientific answers into the hands of your customers."

Challenges in SEO for Academic Journals

Lack of SEO Knowledge and Assumptions

[03:41] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Most of them are absolutely brand new to SEO and they assume that the platform they're on and the developers that are hired by that platform are handling it and that they will magically be found because they have high authority."

Discussion:
Catherine emphasizes that many academic journals mistakenly believe their existing authority will naturally enhance their search visibility without implementing specific SEO strategies. This misconception often leads to underperformance in search rankings despite their authoritative status.

Technical SEO Issues

[04:52] Tyson Stockton:
"But the search volume's there."

[04:54] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Lack of SEO results in high-authority content not being found. I remember working with fisheries who mistakenly optimized for irrelevant acronyms, creating crawl traps that prevented Googlebot from indexing their content effectively."

Discussion:
Catherine shares a case study where technical SEO issues, such as crawl traps caused by improperly handled URLs, severely hindered a journal's visibility. By addressing these technical flaws, she was able to significantly improve their search performance.

Change Management and Organizational Challenges

Resistance to Change

[07:07] Tyson Stockton:
"Not being able to get things done because of organizational blockers and internal politics."

[07:08] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Most of the people I'm working with are brand new to SEO. All of this has a lot of change management pieces to it, like adjusting people's job descriptions and training them on new SEO-focused strategies."

Discussion:
Implementing SEO in academic journals often requires significant organizational changes. Catherine discusses the challenges of altering workflows, updating job roles, and ensuring team members are accountable for SEO performance metrics.

Training and Skill Development

[14:57] Tyson Stockton:
"You have a variety of authors with different backgrounds. How do we showcase and highlight this work?"

[14:59] Catherine Watier Ong:
"I recommend creating evergreen content like collection pages, podcasts, or blog posts to maintain consistent traffic regardless of individual article popularity."

Discussion:
Catherine highlights the importance of training staff to understand SEO principles. She advocates for comprehensive training programs to equip team members with the necessary skills to implement and sustain effective SEO strategies.

Technical SEO Focus Areas

Indexation and Crawl Efficiency

[12:28] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Indexation is a huge problem. High-authority content isn't getting indexed because Google prioritizes search demand, which often overlooks niche academic topics."

Discussion:
Catherine elaborates on the difficulties academic journals face with indexation. Despite producing authoritative content, these articles often remain unindexed due to their niche appeal and lack of strategic SEO implementation.

Internal Linking and Canonicalization

[12:45] Tyson Stockton:
"Can you give context on the issue with multiple URLs?"

[12:54] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Academic journals often publish multiple versions of the same content (abstracts, full pages, PDFs), creating redundant URLs that confuse search engines and hinder proper indexing."

Discussion:
The conversation delves into the complexities of managing multiple URLs for single pieces of content. Catherine explains how improper internal linking and lack of canonicalization can create confusion for search engines, preventing effective indexing and ranking.

Strategic Content Promotion

Evergreen vs. Timely Content

[22:54] Catherine Watier Ong:
"There’s so much opportunity to strategically promote evergreen content alongside timely research to maintain steady traffic."

Discussion:
Catherine discusses the balance between publishing evergreen content and timely research articles. Strategic promotion through embargoes, social media campaigns, and other channels can significantly enhance visibility and traffic.

Leveraging Social Media Platforms

[24:34] Tyson Stockton:
"Using platforms like Blue Sky can avoid link suppression issues present on other social media, enhancing traffic."

[25:08] Catherine Watier Ong:
"On Blue Sky, links are not suppressed, leading to higher traffic compared to platforms like Twitter where links are often minimized in visibility."

Discussion:
The hosts explore the benefits of using alternative social media platforms such as Blue Sky, which do not suppress links, thereby increasing traffic to academic journals. Catherine notes that journals on Blue Sky experience significantly higher traffic than on other platforms.

Future Opportunities and Optimism

Strategic Launches and Promotions

[22:54] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Strategically launching new, high-interest articles can create a snowball effect for traffic and visibility."

Discussion:
Catherine is optimistic about the future, highlighting opportunities for strategic content launches that can drive significant traffic. By leveraging SEO best practices and strategic promotions, academic journals can enhance their online presence and reach broader audiences.

Schema Implementation and Technical Enhancements

[31:46] Tyson Stockton:
"Helping someone else, like saving a job or getting a promotion, is rewarding."

[31:47] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Training others in technical SEO, such as deploying schema with Google Tag Manager, can significantly impact their performance and job security."

Discussion:
Catherine shares personal experiences of training individuals in technical SEO, emphasizing the importance of continuous education and technical enhancements to sustain and grow SEO efforts within academic journals.

Empathy and Soft Skills in SEO

Understanding Client Perspectives

[32:00] Tyson Stockton:
"Encourages SEOs to embrace empathy when dealing with clients, understanding their constraints and perspectives."

[33:03] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Empathy is crucial when managing client relationships, especially when clients have limited time and resources to engage with SEO efforts."

Discussion:
Both hosts advocate for the importance of empathy in SEO practices. Understanding client challenges and maintaining respectful, clear communication can facilitate smoother implementation of SEO strategies and foster better collaboration.

Training and Development

[35:02] Tyson Stockton:
"Advocates for more training and education within the SEO industry."

[35:12] Catherine Watier Ong:
"Emphasizes the need for well-trained SEOs and continuous education to meet the evolving demands of the industry."

Discussion:
Catherine and Tyson agree on the necessity for ongoing training and skill development in the SEO field. By investing in education, SEOs can better navigate the unique challenges faced by academic journals and other niche sectors.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

[35:30] Tyson Stockton:
"Encourages listeners to check out Catherine’s podcast on soft skills critical for digital marketers."

[36:06] Ben Shapp:
"Wraps up the episode with final thanks and reminders about podcast subscriptions and sponsor mentions."

Summary:
The episode provides an in-depth exploration of the unique challenges academic journals face in SEO, including technical issues, organizational resistance, and the need for strategic content promotion. Catherine Watier Ong offers valuable insights and practical solutions, emphasizing the importance of training, empathy, and continuous education. The discussion underscores the potential for academic journals to significantly improve their search visibility and traffic through dedicated SEO efforts.

Notable Quotes:

• Catherine Watier Ong [03:41]:
  "There is no magic to appearing just because you have decent brand authority. You still have to write something that is actually related to somebody's burning question."

• Catherine Watier Ong [07:08]:
  "All of this has a lot of change management pieces to it. You have to adjust people's job descriptions and possibly hire or train someone internally."

• Catherine Watier Ong [12:28]:
  "Indexation is a huge problem. High-authority stuff written by an expert that's not getting indexed."

• Catherine Watier Ong [24:34]:
  "They're all on Blue Sky because on Blue Sky, they don't suppress the links."

• Catherine Watier Ong [31:47]:
  "Deploying schema using Google Tag Manager. See, that's the stuff I love. I actually saved her job."

• Catherine Watier Ong [35:12]:
  "There could be more well-trained SEOs in the industry. I don't think we're saturated yet."

Resources and Links:

• WO Strategies Website: wostrategies.com
• Catherine’s Podcast on Soft Skills: digitalmarketingvictories.com
• Pre Visible Website: previsible.io
• Voices of Search Website: voicesofsearch.com

Final Thoughts: This episode sheds light on the nuanced challenges of optimizing academic journals for search engines. By addressing technical SEO issues, fostering organizational change, and leveraging strategic content promotion, academic journals can enhance their online visibility and effectively reach their target audiences. Catherine Watier Ong’s expertise offers actionable strategies and underscores the importance of continuous learning and empathy in the SEO profession.