The ultimate guide to SEO | Ethan Smith (Graphite) | Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

Ethan Smith, CEO of Graphite, an SEO and content strategy agency, elucidates key SEO strategies, emphasizing the importance of editorial SEO and content over technical audits. He advises focusing on addressable market size and domain authority, suggesting companies have at least 1,000 daily non-SEO visits and 1,000 referring domains before heavily investing in SEO. Smith champions a topic-centric approach, where content comprehensively covers numerous related keywords, illustrated by MasterClass's success with "butter lettuce" content. He also underscores the value of internal linking, advocating for a flat site architecture to enhance Google's crawl efficiency and improve page visibility.

Outlines

Part 1: Background, Career Journey

Part 2: SEO Fundamentals, Myths

Part 3: Strategy, Execution

Part 4: Hiring, Team Structure

Part 5: Advanced Tactics, Authority

Part 6: Internal Linking, AI

Part 7: Conclusion, Summary

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The ultimate guide to SEO | Ethan Smith (Graphite)

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

Part 1: Background, Career Journey

The Undervalued Power of SEO: Ethan Smith's Journey into Growth

Graphite's Focus: Building SEO and Content Strategies That Get Results

Part 2: SEO Fundamentals, Myths

Debunking SEO Myths: Technical Audits vs. Editorial SEO for Growth

Evaluating SEO Potential: Traffic, Competitors, and User-Generated Content

SEO Types: Programmatic, Editorial, and Technical Strategies

Part 3: Strategy, Execution

Building a High-Impact SEO Strategy: Defining the Market and Page Types

Generating Pages for SEO: Quantity, Quality, and Topic-Based Content

Topics vs. Keywords: MasterClass and BetterUp Examples

Part 4: Hiring, Team Structure

SEO Timelines: Authority, Traction, and Early Signals of Success

Hiring for Programmatic SEO: Technical Growth Experts

Editorial SEO: Content Strategy and Team Structure

Editorial SEO Team: Strategy, Writing, and Page Types

Part 5: Advanced Tactics, Authority

Winning Topics: Butter Lettuce and Reverse Engineering Success

Overcoming SEO Roadblocks: Prioritization and Topical Authority

Defining Topics: Mental Models and Algorithmic Dynamics

Part 6: Internal Linking, AI

The Power of Internal Links: A Quick Win for SEO

Implementing Internal Links: Body Links vs. Footer Links

AI and SEO: Cautionary Tales and Structured Data

Part 7: Conclusion, Summary

Exploring SEO Opportunities: Market Size and Authority

The ultimate guide to SEO | Ethan Smith (Graphite)

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

Part 1: Background, Career Journey

00:00The Undervalued Power of SEO: Ethan Smith's Journey into Growth

The Undervalued Power of SEO: Ethan Smith's Journey into Growth

04:32Graphite's Focus: Building SEO and Content Strategies That Get Results

Graphite's Focus: Building SEO and Content Strategies That Get Results

Part 2: SEO Fundamentals, Myths

07:53Debunking SEO Myths: Technical Audits vs. Editorial SEO for Growth

Debunking SEO Myths: Technical Audits vs. Editorial SEO for Growth

14:11Evaluating SEO Potential: Traffic, Competitors, and User-Generated Content

Evaluating SEO Potential: Traffic, Competitors, and User-Generated Content

18:36SEO Types: Programmatic, Editorial, and Technical Strategies

SEO Types: Programmatic, Editorial, and Technical Strategies

Part 3: Strategy, Execution

23:30Building a High-Impact SEO Strategy: Defining the Market and Page Types

Building a High-Impact SEO Strategy: Defining the Market and Page Types

29:29Generating Pages for SEO: Quantity, Quality, and Topic-Based Content

Generating Pages for SEO: Quantity, Quality, and Topic-Based Content

34:26Topics vs. Keywords: MasterClass and BetterUp Examples

Topics vs. Keywords: MasterClass and BetterUp Examples

Part 4: Hiring, Team Structure

40:04SEO Timelines: Authority, Traction, and Early Signals of Success

SEO Timelines: Authority, Traction, and Early Signals of Success

45:43Hiring for Programmatic SEO: Technical Growth Experts

Hiring for Programmatic SEO: Technical Growth Experts

51:33Editorial SEO: Content Strategy and Team Structure

Editorial SEO: Content Strategy and Team Structure

57:23Editorial SEO Team: Strategy, Writing, and Page Types

Editorial SEO Team: Strategy, Writing, and Page Types

Part 5: Advanced Tactics, Authority

1:01:12Winning Topics: Butter Lettuce and Reverse Engineering Success

Winning Topics: Butter Lettuce and Reverse Engineering Success

1:06:03Overcoming SEO Roadblocks: Prioritization and Topical Authority

Overcoming SEO Roadblocks: Prioritization and Topical Authority

1:13:34Defining Topics: Mental Models and Algorithmic Dynamics

Defining Topics: Mental Models and Algorithmic Dynamics

Part 6: Internal Linking, AI

1:16:35The Power of Internal Links: A Quick Win for SEO

The Power of Internal Links: A Quick Win for SEO

1:22:27Implementing Internal Links: Body Links vs. Footer Links

Implementing Internal Links: Body Links vs. Footer Links

1:24:28AI and SEO: Cautionary Tales and Structured Data

AI and SEO: Cautionary Tales and Structured Data

Part 7: Conclusion, Summary

1:28:28Exploring SEO Opportunities: Market Size and Authority

Exploring SEO Opportunities: Market Size and Authority