What is the #1 biggest challenge SEOs face in 2023?
“The biggest changes happening right now come from AI. You should no longer target keywords with very simple answers because AI will generate answers for those questions in seconds. So there’s no reason to create content around those queries. Focus on subjective keywords and multi-pronged answers, which would make it difficult for AI to replicate because it doesn’t have the experience and the nuance of user-generated subjectivity.”
Nathan Gotch is the founder of Gotch SEO and Gotch SEO Academy, a community-based SEO training platform. Nathan started his journey in marketing with interest in making money online. After getting fired from his security guard job in 2013, Nathan began focusing more on building his SEO skills, eventually leading to a flourishing freelancing career and the establishment of Gotch SEO, which has grown to be a 7-figure business. Ever since he embarked on his SEO journey, Nathan has built a popular SEO blog, an SEO YouTube channel (with over 1 million views), and collaboration with platforms such as Semrush, Ahrefs, and Search Engine Journal.
JOIN OUR HOST, RUSS MACUMBER, AS HE SPEAKS TO NATHAN GOTCH ABOUT THE SKILLS AND RESILIENCE THAT IT TAKES TO BUILD EXPERTISE IN SEO.
“Many subconscious things happen when you add a coaching component into a course. The value I can add on a coaching call and how I can look specifically at someone’s campaign in real-time and help them are very important. But it’s also the consistency and [going back to the concept of AI], the ability to have a conversation. I could be just a robot, but for now, the human connection aspect is so huge, and that was the big missing piece that I didn’t understand [when developing the course for Nathan Gotch Academy].”- Nathan Gotch on the value of human connection in developing a beneficial training course.
The conversation covers:
- Nathan’s first marketing gig 3:12
- Researching tactics to make money online 4:49
- Stumbling upon SEO 6:23
- Using Quora to share his SEO expertise and rank on Google 9:50
- Ranking on geo-targeted pages 10:38
- Developing an SEO-friendly writing style 14:00
- Failure with the PBM techniques 16:15
- Starting Gotch Academy 17:45
- Setting the course curriculum 20:39
- Revamping the whole academy model 25:19
- Moving to WordPress to grow a more sustainable community 25:54
- Adding personalized coaching calls 26:57
- Future roadmap for Gotch Academy 30:09
- Understanding ChatGPT and AI 32:33
- Linkedin article #1: Higher budget for better SEO 39:40
- Linkedin article #2: Quality link building campaign 41:57
- Targeting relevant keywords that lead to conversion 45:13
Quickfire Vox Pop Q&A
Which previous Google algorithm change still keeps you up at night?
Penguin.
Favorite non-obvious software tool that you use every day to research or execute?
Hemingway Editor.
Gun to your head… which do you prefer: content or links?
Content. There are no links without content.
What’s the most effective link-building technique you have used?
Coining the merger technique: finding relevant domains, acquiring those, and redirecting them to your site.
Is the skyscraper technique still relevant today?
Definitely!
What do you love most about SEO?
The experimentation, the change, the competition.
How do you apply SEO principles to your daily life?
In SEO, the speed of failing needs to be fast – you need to constantly make adjustments because not everything goes according to plan. The constant iteration and pivots translate well into my business and entrepreneurship mentality, and even how I raise my kids.
WFH life or Office life or Hybrid life?
WFH is the best.
SEMrush or Ahrefs?
I love them both honestly.
Agency or In-house or Combo?
It depends on where you’re at in life. If you’re younger and can tolerate more risks, you should try working with more clients because the freedom is worth it. If you’re more established, going in-house may be safer. But when it comes to learning, agency is good!
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