Ethan Smith, CEO of Graphite and an SEO expert for leading marketplaces like MasterClass and Upwork, discusses the crucial role of SEO in marketplace growth. He shares strategies for leveraging auto-generated content and the balance between automation and manual optimization. The impact of AI technologies on SEO practices is explored, along with essential tools for founders. Ethan also highlights the challenges of using subdomains vs. subdirectories and offers insights on improving editorial content ranking. Tune in for actionable tips and strategies!
Marketplaces can maximize SEO effectiveness by leveraging programmatic strategies to rapidly create content and optimize for targeted keywords.
Successful SEO requires a balanced approach combining programmatic content generation with editorial tactics, emphasizing the importance of measuring traffic and conversion rates for ongoing improvement.
Deep dives
SEO Opportunities for Marketplaces
Marketplaces are uniquely positioned to leverage SEO due to their typically large addressable markets and the ability to auto-generate content, especially when managing a high number of SKUs. With substantial growth potential, marketplaces can implement programmatic strategies that allow them to create numerous pages rapidly. This approach contrasts with businesses that rely on more manual content generation, enabling marketplaces to fill their digital landscapes efficiently. For smaller, niche marketplaces, however, the effectiveness of SEO may diminish if the target audience is limited, underscoring the importance of market size in SEO strategies.
Effective SEO Strategies and Playbooks
Successful SEO strategies for marketplaces often involve a combination of programmatic and editorial tactics, which can be tailored based on their page types. A particular emphasis can be placed on listicles and targeted keyword optimization as effective entry points for early-stage companies. For example, creating high-intent listicles such as 'Plumbers in San Francisco' can yield better outcomes than more complex browse pages since the intent behind these queries is typically much higher. The incorporation of unique, keyword-rich metadata and snippets can further enhance page visibility and relevance.
Monitoring and Measuring SEO ROI
Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of SEO efforts involves tracking various performance indicators as part of a lifecycle analysis. Founders should start by ensuring that created pages are indexed, and then monitor traffic growth and conversion rates over time. Identifying specific fall-off points in traffic flow helps inform necessary adjustments to optimize content further, with early traffic growth indicating that initial strategies may be effective. Ultimately, visits should be prioritized as a key success criterion since they can fluctuate significantly in the early stages, necessitating additional focus on conversion optimization down the line.
Common SEO Pitfalls and AI's Role
Marketplaces often encounter pitfalls in their SEO strategies, such as over-scoping content creation and over-reliance on programmatic and AI-generated content. Founders should initiate with a lean approach, testing smaller batches of content to gauge traffic and audience engagement before scaling efforts. Additionally, the integration of AI in content generation requires careful consideration, as success hinges on unique configurations and human oversight rather than a simple reliance on automation. Acknowledging the evolving landscape, particularly the significance of optimizing for new AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT, is crucial to maintain competitive SEO strategies.
The Everything Marketplaces podcast is an audio version of our group chats. This episode is with Ethan Smith, who's the CEO of Graphite, which is a boutique growth & SEO agency. Ethan is one of the foremost experts on SEO for marketplaces and has advised leading marketplaces like MasterClass, Thumbtack, Upwork, and more on their SEO strategies. Ethan is also an instructor at Reforge, where he leads their SEO Strategy course.