In this insightful interview, Nathan Gotch, a renowned SEO expert, shares his perspectives on the current state of SEO and strategies for success in 2024. As the founder of Gotch SEO and the creator of the Rankability tool, Nathan offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of search engine optimization.
The Importance of Site Authority
Nathan emphasizes that one of the most consistent factors in surviving Google updates is overall site authority. He notes that websites with high domain ratings (DR) of 70 and above tend to weather algorithm changes better than those with lower authority scores.
He states, “When you look across all the updates, very rarely do you see a DR 80 website getting hit. It’s extremely rare.”
Real Businesses vs. Affiliate Sites
Another interesting observation Nathan makes is the difference in performance between real businesses and affiliate sites during recent updates. He explains that actual businesses selling products tend to maintain or improve their rankings, while sites that primarily review products and refer traffic to other vendors often suffer.
“The sites that are in that bucket, 9 out of 10 are real businesses. So the example I’ll give you is, in the ecommerce space. There’s several coffee brands. Okay? You have Black Rifle Coffee, Death Wish Coffee, Pete’s Coffee. You have these different coffee brands. And if you look at their organic keyword profile, it stays pretty much flat or went up after the updates.”
Link Building Strategies
Nathan stresses the importance of building high-quality, relevant links from authoritative sources. He cautions against manipulative link-building tactics that leave obvious footprints, such as driving paid links to pages that don’t naturally attract links.
He advises, “When you study sites that do get links naturally and passively, most of the links they’re getting are going to things that actually deserve links. So it could be free resources, free tools, free software, it could be data, could be just informational content, whatever it may be.”
The SEO Process
Nathan outlines his SEO process, which remains consistent despite recent changes:
- Keyword research and database building
- Technical SEO audit and prioritization
- Optimizing existing assets
- Creating new assets to build topic authority
- Building linkable assets
- Promoting assets to relevant websites
Adapting to AI and New Technologies
While the overall process remains the same, Nathan notes that AI has significantly improved efficiency in various tasks. He mentions using ChatGPT for creating Google Sheet formulas and other time-saving applications.
Focus on Building Authority for New Websites
For new websites, Nathan recommends focusing on building site authority before creating a large volume of content. He suggests creating 3-5 linkable assets and spending several months promoting them intensively before expanding into keyword-driven content.
“I’ll build out, like, 3 to 5 linkable assets, roughly. Like, 3 to 5, and then I’ll spend the next 6 months or so just focusing on promoting those like crazy. And that’s it. I won’t do anything else.”
The Future of SEO
When asked about the future of SEO, Nathan emphasizes the importance of looking at current facts rather than making long-term predictions. He notes that Google still dominates the search market with a 90% share, and YouTube (owned by Google) is the second-largest website on the internet.
However, he does express concern for certain industries, particularly e-commerce, where Google’s SERP features are increasingly taking up space and potentially reducing organic click-through rates.
Diversifying Marketing Channels
Nathan stresses the importance of not relying solely on SEO for traffic and revenue. He recommends an omnipresent approach, utilizing multiple marketing channels such as paid ads, local service ads, directory listings, and social media platforms.
He concludes, “SEO is just one channel. It’s an amazing channel, but I would never tell someone just do YouTube or just do email. You’ve got a single source of dependency on that one traffic source or revenue source, and I’ve been burnt hard before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the most important factor for surviving Google updates?
According to Nathan Gotch, overall site authority is the most consistent factor in surviving Google updates. Websites with high domain ratings (DR) of 70 and above tend to perform better during algorithm changes.
Q: How should new websites approach SEO?
Nathan recommends focusing on building site authority first by creating 3-5 linkable assets and promoting them intensively for several months before expanding into keyword-driven content.
Q: Is it still effective to rely solely on SEO for traffic?
No, Nathan advises against relying solely on SEO. He recommends an omnipresent approach, utilizing multiple marketing channels such as paid ads, local service ads, directory listings, and social media platforms to diversify traffic sources.
Q: How has AI impacted SEO strategies?
While the overall SEO process remains similar, AI has significantly improved efficiency in various tasks. Nathan mentions using tools like ChatGPT for creating Google Sheet formulas and other time-saving applications.
Q: What industries might face challenges in SEO going forward?
Nathan expresses concern for the e-commerce industry, where Google’s SERP features are increasingly taking up space and potentially reducing organic click-through rates for traditional search results.
