089: Are Ranking Factor Studies Hurting The SEO Industry? w/Jenny Halasz

In this episode:The problem with calling metrics like word count, time to first byte “ranking factors”Why Jenny believes CTR is NOT a significant ranking factorHow to stay focused on what matters in the noisy SEO industryHow to think through and solve your own SEO problemsPros and (mostly) cons of AMPA tip for improving product pages, and how to get buy-inManaging scope creep as an SEO consultantHave you ever wondered if all of these SEO Ranking Factor studies are actually useful? Do they help us as SEOs in the work we do? And further, are they damaging the reputation of our industry? An industry which has had a hard enough time earning respect!Like myself, maybe you’ve read them – but their conclusions often contradict (some say user metrics are a factor, some don’t etc), they confuse causation with correlation – so it’s frustrating to know if we should pay attention to them… and it’s even more frustrating to think that these studies might be giving SEO a bad name!In today’s episode, my guest Jenny Halasz shares her thoughts and recommendations on ‘ranking factor studies’.Listen Now!Episode SponsorEpisode Sponsor – We have a special sponsor just for today’s show. You’re a podcast listener, right? So you probably listen to them on headphones, at least sometimes? Check out Sudio Headphones! To me, these are luxury headphones without the luxury price tag. I’ve been using the Vasa Rose Gold Earbuds for 3 months and love them. In fact, when Sudio asked if I would mention their headphones, I told them I would mail the headphones back to them if I didn’t like them because I wouldn’t ever take a sponsor of a product I don’t love. Obviously, I like them Listen to the show for a discount code to get 15% off any product!Related Episodes You Might LikeMarshall Simmonds – Episode 41 on Ranking Factors and Dark TrafficPaul Shapiro – Episode 86 on Ranking Factors and Technical SEOTools MentionedAherfsMozSEMrush <— 15-day free pro trial!Articles, Resources, and Links MentionedDamaging Our Industry With Ranking Factor StudiesNew Video Series by Jason Fried and DHH (Basecamp)Larry Kim’s Tweet about Direct TrafficMicah’s tweetRand’s TweetDumb SEO QuestionsI am Not an Entrepreneur – Jenny’s articlePubcon South FloridaSearch Marketing Summit in AustraliaSEMrush ranking factors studySearchmetrics ranking factors studySearch Engine JournalSearch Engine LandSearch Engine WatchBill Slawski SEO by the SeaQuality Raters GuidelinesSpecify Your CanonicalAMPWhat To Do When Your Google Disavow List is Maxed OutFor The Love of SEO with Jenny HalaszFind Jenny OnlineJLH MarketingTwitter LinkedInThe post 089: Are Ranking Factor Studies Hurting The SEO Industry? w/Jenny Halasz appeared first on Evolving SEO.