Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with JH Scherck for the sixty-seventh episode of the Optimize podcast. JH is the founder of Growth Plays, an SEO agency specializing in helping B2B technology companies grow. He brings years of experience in guiding companies through the evolving landscape of SEO and content marketing. In today’s episode, Nate and JH dive deep into the latest algorithm updates and their impacts on search results, along with the evolving role of AI in content creation. They also explore how SEO strategies are changing, emphasizing the need for unique, helpful content and the dangers of relying too heavily on programmatic SEO. JH offers insights into the challenges of creating content that resonates with users, stressing the importance of firsthand experience and tactical advice over generic information. He also discusses the significance of building strong brands and how brand recognition can drastically affect SEO outcomes. With increasing pressures on businesses to do more with fewer resources, JH highlights the growing difficulty in maintaining high-quality content while managing tighter budgets. In this week’s deep dive, listen to JH share his perspective on why content optimization tools can be both helpful and harmful, and how companies should focus on creating genuinely helpful content rather than relying solely on gamified metrics. He shares his experience working with diverse clients and explains the balancing act of delivering valuable content amidst constant industry shifts. Rounding out the episode, JH and Nate touch on the rise of programmatic SEO and whether it’s a sustainable approach for most businesses. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions!Learn More About JH Scherck(JH) Scherck, is the founder of Growth Plays, a B2B SEO & content strategy agency that works with mid-market and enterprise technology companies, developer platforms, and investment firms. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhtscherck

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Daryna Kulya for the sixty-sixth episode of the Optimize podcast. Daryna is the co-founder of OpenPhone, a business phone system designed for startups and small businesses. In our episode today, Nate and Daryna explore OpenPhone's unique go-to-market strategy, including the scrappy tactics used to acquire their first 1,000 customers and how they scaled their content marketing and SEO channels. Daryna also shares insights on the importance of building trust with early customers through exceptional support and the role of press and partnerships in scaling OpenPhone. Listen to hear why she emphasizes the value of word-of-mouth marketing and her thoughts on accelerating it. In this week’s deep dive, listen to Daryna share everything you need to know about OpenPhone's journey from a free beta to a paid product and the lessons learned along the way. Daryna gets tactical, sharing her experiences in Facebook groups, subreddits, and leveraging content to drive growth. Rounding out the episode, Daryna and Nate cover topics like investing in brand-building, the challenges of creating engaging video content, and the future growth strategies for OpenPhone.Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions!Learn More About Daryna KulyaDaryna Kulya is a Co-Founder of OpenPhone, the world's best business phone.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darynakulya

Kevin Indig, an advisor for some of the fastest-growing startups and a former SEO leader, shares his insights on the August core update and the Helpful Content Update. He emphasizes caution when altering strategy after algorithm changes and discusses the rising importance of user-generated content and backlinks. Kevin delves into AI's role in SEO strategies, weighing the pros and cons of AI-generated content. Finally, he explores emerging trends like programmatic SEO and the challenges to Google's dominance, offering listeners valuable tactical advice.

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Eli Schwartz for the sixty-fourth episode of the Optimize podcast. Eli is an SEO advisor who has collaborated with major companies like Coinbase, Tinder, and Quora, and is the author of the influential book Product-Led SEO. Eli shares his expertise on the current state of SEO, offering a nuanced view of AI overviews and their potential long-term implications for search results and monetization strategies. He also discusses the seesaw nature of algorithm updates, explaining how unintended consequences often lead to significant shifts in search rankings. Listen to hear why Eli suggests that SEOs shift their focus from top-of-funnel keywords to more valuable mid-funnel and bottom-funnel opportunities, especially as Google's approach evolves. In this week’s deep dive, Eli also explores the complex interplay between Google’s business model and its AI initiatives, shedding light on why Google might be deliberately pulling back on certain AI features. Rounding out the episode, Nate and Eli cover various additional topics, including the potential antitrust actions against Google and what they could mean for the future of search. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions!Learn More About Eli SchwartzEli is the best-selling author of Product Led SEO and a growth advisor and SEO strategic consultant who has helped drive hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue for companies like Tinder, Coinbase, WordPress, Faire, Gusto and more!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Meg Scarborough for the sixty-third episode of the Optimize podcast. Meg is the CEO and founder of Megawatt, a B2B content marketing agency specializing in technical content for the tech industry. With a deep passion for technology, Meg has built her agency around helping companies in cybersecurity, developer tools, and data infrastructure create content that truly resonates with their technical audiences. In our episode today, Nate and Meg explore how to create impactful content for technical audiences, the challenges in cybersecurity marketing, and how AI is shaking up the SEO landscape. Listen to hear Meg discuss the importance of writing for the people who could be your buyers, focusing on their day-to-day challenges and how your content can make them look like heroes. In this week’s deep dive, Meg shares her approach to creating helpful content that is not just SEO-driven but genuinely useful for technical buyers. Rounding out the episode, she also discusses the evolving role of AI in content creation, especially in the tech space, and how companies can navigate these changes to maintain effective content strategies. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions! Learn More About Meg ScarboroughScarborough is the CEO and founder of Megawatt, a B2B content marketing agency specializing in complex and technical niches, such as cybersecurity, IT, DevOps, AI/ML, and data. Meg lives in Boston with her husband, two young kids, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling around the city, cooking elaborate meals, and watercoloring.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganscarboroughMegawatt content:  www.megawattcontent.com

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Jonny Price for the sixty-second episode of the Optimize podcast. Jonny is the VP of Fundraising at WeFunder, a platform that empowers startup founders to raise capital from their customers and community. With a background in management consulting and experience at Kiva.org, Jonny brings a wealth of knowledge to his role in democratizing angel investing. In our episode today, Nate and Jonny dive into the underreported growth tactic of community rounds, exploring how startups can leverage them to build stronger customer relationships and enhance their go-to-market strategies. Jonny also speaks to the regulatory landscape, expressing insights about SEC rules and the impact of allowing unaccredited investors into startup funding. Listen to hear why he suggests setting an attainable allocation for community rounds to create a positive signal. In this week’s deep dive, listen to Jonny share everything you need to know about conducting community rounds in 2024. Jonny gets tactical, sharing multiple examples of successful community rounds, including companies like Mercury and Beehive, and how they achieved rapid funding success. Rounding out the episode, Jonny and Nate cover topics like the benefits of engaging community investors, potential pitfalls to avoid in fundraising, and innovative marketing strategies used by WeFunder to support startups. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions!  Learn More About Jonny PriceJonny is the VP of Fundraising at WeFunder, a YC-backed platform that helps startups raise capital from their customers and community, as well as rich people. Before joining WeFunder in 2018, Jonny founded the U.S. lending division at Kiva.org. Jonny originally hails from the UK, but now lives in Nashville with his wife Ali, and their three children.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyprice/

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Matt Lenhard for the sixty-first episode of the Optimize podcast. Matt is the co-founder and CTO of Positional, a company building an all-in-one tool set for content marketing and SEO teams. In our episode today, Nate and Matt explore topics like AI overviews, SEO optimization, and Google's SERP strategy. Matt also speaks to the mechanics of AI overviews, expressing insights from his recent study on their workings. Listen to hear why he suggests using AI overviews as a prompt for content improvement. In this week’s deep dive, listen to Matt share everything you need to know about optimizing for AI overviews in 2024. Matt gets tactical, sharing multiple case studies on how vector similarity impacts the likelihood of being referenced in AI overviews. Rounding out the episode, Matt and Nate cover topics like the correlation between SERP ranking and AI overview inclusion, and the future of backlinks in SEO. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions! Learn More About Matt LenhardMatt Lenhard is the Co-founder and CTO at Positional. Before starting Positional, Matt spent most of the last decade building startups, and content marketing and SEO have always been important customer acquisition channels for his companies.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-lenhard/

Bennet Johnson, the Director of Growth Marketing at Talkiatry and former growth marketer at Twitter and The Wall Street Journal, shares his expertise on scaling SEO strategies. He reveals how Talkiatry boosted its organic traffic from 30k to over 200k monthly visitors. Bennet discusses the importance of content quality, navigating medical content challenges, and leveraging paid data to enhance organic strategies. He highlights user-centric content and integrates quizzes for engagement, showcasing the synergy between paid and organic channels in the mental health sector.

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Turner Novak for the fifty-ninth episode of the Optimize podcast. Turner is the founder of Banana Capital and host of The Peel, one of Nate's favorite podcasts. Turner is an investor known for his insightful and often humorous takes on startups, tech, investing, and the stock market. He has built a significant following on Twitter, where he shares memes and insights. In today's episode, Nate and Turner explore topics like starting a podcast, growth strategies, and social media marketing. He explains how he uses the podcast to meet new people, support portfolio companies, and generate ad revenue. Turner also discusses the importance of creating engaging content and shares tips on making a podcast episode interesting and educational. Listen to hear why he suggests using a podcast for customer conversations and building a strong personal brand. In this week’s deep dive, Turner shares everything you need to know about leveraging social media for podcast distribution and growth. Turner gets tactical, sharing examples of how to create effective thumbnails and titles and use multiple platforms for maximum reach. Rounding out the episode, Turner and Nate cover topics like the challenges of starting a podcast for startups, the importance of founder-led content, and the evolving landscape of social media marketing. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions! Learn More About Turner Novak:Turner is the Founder and General Partner of Banana Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. Turner is also the host of The Peel, a podcast for founders and technologists.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovak/ Banana Capital: https://www.bananacapital.vc/ The Peel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePeelPod

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Erik Dietrich for the fifty-eighth episode of the Optimize podcast. Erik Dietrich is the CEO of Hit Subscribe, a marketing services business, and the author of the upcoming book "SEO for Non-Scumbags". In our episode today, Nate and Erik explore content marketing and SEO tactics, particularly for companies in highly technical spaces. Erik shares his journey from software engineering to management consulting and eventually to founding Hit Subscribe. He also discusses his new book and some of his key learnings about ethical SEO practices. Erik emphasizes the randomness in search engine performance and how he explains this to clients, using the metaphor of a casino to illustrate the unpredictability. He stresses the importance of creating content that answers users' questions effectively and ensuring the website offers a good user experience. In this week’s deep dive, listen to Erik share everything you need to know about effective content marketing strategies in 2024. Erik gets tactical, sharing multiple case studies on how to improve search rankings and the role of backlinks. Rounding out the episode, Erik and Nate cover topics like the future of backlinks, the importance of user experience in SEO, and strategies for finding content writers for technical topics. Closing the episode is our popular lightning round of questions! Learn More About Erik Dietrich:Erik Dietrich is the CEO of Hit Subscribe, a marketing services agency with a specialty in content marketing and SEO for companies with technical products. Erik is also the author of a new and upcoming book, SEO for Non-Scumbags.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-dietrich-109a888/Hit Subscribe: https://www.hitsubscribe.com