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Traffic Down, Revenue Up: A Conversation w/ Rand Fishkin
Manage episode 470759110 series 3044679
Ross welcomes back Rand Fishkin, co-founder of SparkToro and longtime marketing thought leader, for a candid conversation about the evolution of search, audience research, and the shifting tides of digital marketing.
Rand shares insights on why SEO’s golden age is behind us, why influence—not traffic—should be marketers’ primary focus, and how PR is making a major comeback.
He also discusses SparkToro’s growth, lessons from launching an indie video game company, and why understanding audience behavior is more critical than ever.
Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome Back, Rand!
01:10 Reflections on Lost and Founder
02:37 The importance of timing and market demand
06:48 Venture Capital and Market Trends
14:34 The Changing Reputation of SEO
19:27 AI, Search, and Zero-Click Results 28:58 Influence Over Traffic
38:46 How to Prioritize Marketing Channels
43:42 The Rise of Digital PR
49:51 The Future of Search and Content
Show Links:
SparkToro https://sparktoro.com/blog/traffic-is-down-revenue-is-up/
SparkTogether 2025 https://sparktoro.com/sparktogether
Rand’s Blog “Traffic Is Down; Revenue Is… Up?" https://sparktoro.com/
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing
89 episodes
Traffic Down, Revenue Up: A Conversation w/ Rand Fishkin
Content and Conversation: Organic Growth Insights from Siege Media
Manage episode 470759110 series 3044679
Ross welcomes back Rand Fishkin, co-founder of SparkToro and longtime marketing thought leader, for a candid conversation about the evolution of search, audience research, and the shifting tides of digital marketing.
Rand shares insights on why SEO’s golden age is behind us, why influence—not traffic—should be marketers’ primary focus, and how PR is making a major comeback.
He also discusses SparkToro’s growth, lessons from launching an indie video game company, and why understanding audience behavior is more critical than ever.
Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome Back, Rand!
01:10 Reflections on Lost and Founder
02:37 The importance of timing and market demand
06:48 Venture Capital and Market Trends
14:34 The Changing Reputation of SEO
19:27 AI, Search, and Zero-Click Results 28:58 Influence Over Traffic
38:46 How to Prioritize Marketing Channels
43:42 The Rise of Digital PR
49:51 The Future of Search and Content
Show Links:
SparkToro https://sparktoro.com/blog/traffic-is-down-revenue-is-up/
SparkTogether 2025 https://sparktoro.com/sparktogether
Rand’s Blog “Traffic Is Down; Revenue Is… Up?" https://sparktoro.com/
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing
89 episodes
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