SEO expert Glen Allsop from Detailed.com discusses Google's algorithm update targeting spammy search results, the impact on publishers, big brands' SEO strategies, backlinks' importance, and the evolving landscape of SEO content operations. Exploring Google's crackdown on site reputation abuse, brand arbitrage, and the shift from affiliate marketing to e-commerce focus in search results.

Emma Tucker was named the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal (and Dow Jones Newswires) in early 2023. She was brought in with a mandate to shake up the Journal in a media market that Emma describes as changed “beyond recognition.” The Journal itself has its own challenges: an aging subscriber base that’s pushing 60, a stodgy internal culture and often convoluted editing process that’s exacting yet hard to square in the current realities of publishing. Like other publishers (and companies), it also has a restive workforce. Emma and I discuss the changes she’s instituted since joining, from the small bore like doing away with honorifics (RIP, messrs) and putting a cat on a front page to the more substantial changes in top personnel and overhauling the WSJ’s DC bureau. Her moves even led to a New York piece that wondered, “Who is going to get Tucked next?” (Her deputy is apparently known as an “angel of death,” which is a catchy LinkedIn endorsement.) Some key takeaways from our conversation: Transitioning from a “print ethos.” Print still gives publications heft, and I suspect that will become more valuable in a world filled with synthetic content, much of it utter crap. But that role is more of being a “shop window,” Emma told me the Journal needs a “definitive move away from print” to serving digital audiences rather than seeing the newspaper as a central distribution channel. Adopting an audience-first mindset. It sounds obvious, but the challenge for many publishers is adopting audience-first strategies rather than trying to be all things to all people (and all algorithms). That was the main takeaway from a content review Emma commissioned soon after taking on the top role. Those exercises are usually preludes to organizational change. The main theme highlighted in the review: being an “audience-first publication for people that mean business.” Translation: more investigative pieces, less filler content, more “constructive journalism” that serves audience needs instead of winning Twitter/X. Engagement is the new uniques. The traffic era of publishing has ended. Nobody brags about their ComScore uniques anymore; engagement is the new North Star. That’s particularly true in subscription models, which are natural outgrowths of audience-first strategies. With subscriptions, churn is the boogeyman. I found it telling Emma didn’t cite traffic numbers but highlighted that the Journal had decreased churn by 6% in the past year. The Journal has a newsroom dashboard that measures KPIs like guest visits, conversion rates, female readership, and young readership.  Other topics we discussed: Why American journalists are prone to navel gazing Balancing the need to attract younger readers without alienating the old codgers How to prepare for the “seismic changes” of AI The need to focus on what makes you irreplaceable

Professor Jay Rosen from NYU discusses the challenges faced by the news industry, the rise of nonprofit journalism, and new funding models to support public service journalism. The conversation also touches on the shifting ideologies at The New York Times and the evolving landscape of political interviews.

Matt Cronin from House of Kaizen discusses the shift to audience-centric approaches in publishing, focusing on intentional audiences. He emphasizes the importance of providing added value to audiences with AI and the transition towards sustainable practices. The podcast explores challenges and opportunities for publishers in understanding diverse audiences and the evolution of advertising methods towards a human-centered approach.

On this week’s episode of The Rebooting Show, I spoke to writer John McDermott about his recent expose of self-help guru Jay Shetty and what it says about the chaotic Information Space. We delve into the paradox of influencer culture, where authenticity is a currency, even if the influencers themselves are as flawed as the general population. There’s often a blurry line between fake-it-’til-you-make-it and fraud.

Her Campus, founded by college undergraduates, thrives as a profitable media business solely through ads. Their bootstrapped model, focusing on execution, not aging with their audience, and offering agency services, sets them apart. The evolution from a college women's platform to a diversified ecosystem showcases their adaptability and focus on sustainability in the ever-changing media landscape.

The podcast discusses the shift towards audience-centric publishing, adapting to evolving consumer expectations, maximizing audience value through segmentation, and aligning goals for sustainable optimization in publishing.

Mosheh Oinounou, a broadcast news veteran, started posting summaries of the news of the day during the early days of the pandemic. He found they were resonating, and over the past few years, Mo News has amassed 440,000 followers on Instagram for news delivered mostly through Instagram Stories. Mosh has since expanded to a daily podcast, a membership program that’s attracted 6,000 paying subscribers, newsletter and more. We spoke about the prospects of “creator journalists,” why his evenhanded approach resonates with his 85% female audience and the inherent challenges of building a business built around a “personal brand.”

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the importance of sequencing your business and realizing your 'unfair advantages.' They also explore the significance of first-party data in a niche media business and orienting subscriptions for specific audience segments. Additionally, they delve into the challenge of 'getting to start' and figuring out pricing. They highlight the importance of understanding client motivations in selling sponsorships and share survey results and strategies for the rebooting. They also discuss staying true to your worldview while incorporating audience input and express excitement about building a community to support sustainable media companies.

Scott Messer, digital media veteran, discusses the structural changes to publishing business, including the deprecation of third-party cookies and the role of search. The podcast also explores challenges faced by publishers, limitations of cookies on the web, bid enrichment, and navigating the ad tech tax.