SEO Techniques

🔎 How To Redesign Complex Navigation: How We Restructured Intercom’s IA (https://lnkd.in/ezbHUYyU), a practical case study on how the Intercom team fixed the maze of features, settings, workflows and navigation labels. Neatly put together by Pranava Tandra. 🚫 Customers can’t use features they can’t discover. ✅ Simplifying is about bringing order to complexity. ✅ First, map out the flow of customers and their needs. ✅ Study how people navigate and where they get stuck. ✅ Spot recurring friction points that resonate across tasks. 🚫 Don’t group features based on how they are built. ✅ Group features based on how users think and work. ✅ Bring similar things together (e.g. Help, Knowledge). ✅ Establish dedicated hubs for key parts of the product. ✅ Relocate low-priority features to workflows/settings. 🤔 People don’t use products in predictable ways. 🤔 Users often struggle with cryptic icons and labels. ✅ Show labels in a collapsible nav drawer, not on hover. ✅ Use content testing to track if users understand icons. ✅ Allow users to pin/unpin items in their navigation drawer. One of the helpful ways to prioritize sections in navigation is by layering customer journeys on top of each other to identify most frequent areas of use. The busy “hubs” of user interactions typically require faster and easier access across the product. Instead of using AI or designer’s mental model to reorganize navigation, invite users and run a card sorting session with them. People are usually not very good at naming things, but very good at grouping and organizing them. And once you have a new navigation, test and refine it with tree testing. As Pranava writes, real people don’t use products in perfectly predictable ways. They come in with an infinite variety of needs, assumptions, and goals. Our job is to address friction points for their realities — by reducing confusion and maximizing clarity. Good IA work and UX research can do just that. [Useful resources in the comments ↓] #ux #IA

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

Everyone's freaking out about GEO, LLMO, and AEO. After 7 months of running tests across tons of sites… I can tell you this: It's all built on SEO fundamentals. The same principles that rank you on Google also get you cited in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. So before you buy into shiny new tactics that promise “AI visibility”…here's what actually moves the needle: 1. Trust Signals AI tools pull from review platforms to assess business credibility and expertise. Build trust signals in the right places: - Local businesses: prioritize Google Business Profile reviews and responses - SaaS companies: maintain strong G2 and Capterra profiles  - Ecommerce: focus on Trustpilot or industry-specific review platforms - Respond to reviews professionally and keep profiles updated 2. Document Structure LLMs love well-structured documents. Instead of optimizing just for human readers, structure content for AI platforms too: - Add company context throughout documents. Instead of "our latest update," write "Acme Corp's Q4 2024 update" - Use clear headings and comprehensive sections that can stand alone - Include key facts in multiple formats (inline text, bulleted lists, data tables) 3. Link Building for Relevance Quality and topical relevance matter more than quantity for AI visibility. Focus your link building efforts: - Target industry-relevant sites where your brand mention makes logical sense - Pursue guest posts and collaborations within your industry - Don't ignore nofollow links from high-authority sites in your niche - Seek brand mentions even without direct links. (the mention itself carries weight) Avoid completely unrelated sites. 4. Topical Authority Still Rules LLMs are trained on the same web content that Google indexes. The more deep, high-quality content you publish around your niche, the more AI systems recognize you as the go-to source, the more you get mentioned. Take out the trash. Delete random blog posts about topics unrelated to your business. They're actually hurting your AI visibility. 5. Be everywhere LLMs crawl Repurpose your content across Reddit, Medium, LinkedIn, and YouTube. These platforms get crawled heavily by AI, and showing up on them regularly builds brand visibility. LLMs love patterns. The more places they see you, the more they assume you’re an authority. 6. Technical setup - Use HTML-driven pages - Add schema markup - Clean site architecture (no page more than 3 clicks from homepage) - Ensure your critical content loads server-side (most AI crawlers don't render JavaScript) 7. Traditional Search Feeds AI Most AI tools use Bing or Google's index for real-time data. Better search rankings directly improve AI visibility.

Internal linking is still one of the biggest competitive advantages in SEO right now. And while everyone is busy prompting AI to do half their work, one of the most accurate, scalable and criminally slept-on techniques is still sitting inside Screaming Frog. 👉 Custom Search > Unlinked Anchors If you haven’t used this before, it’s basically X-ray vision for discovering internal link opportunities at scale no hallucinations, no guesswork, no AI drama. Here’s the exact setup I use (screenshot below): How to do it Go to Configuration > Custom > Custom Search Add a list of keyword-focused anchor phrases you’d expect to be linked, such as: “technical SEO” “site audit” “canonical” “schema markup” “page speed” “crawl budget” “internal linking” “duplicate content” “keyword research” “content strategy” “search intent” Set each rule to: Filter: Unlinked Anchors Match: Contains Search Type: Text Run the crawl. Check the Custom Search tab for every page where those SEO terms appear in plain text but aren’t linked anywhere. Bosh! Instant list of internal linking opportunities that: - strengthen topical signals - improve discoverability - support pillar/cluster architecture - tidy up orphaned or weak pages and scale beautifully across large sites Why this still matters (even in peak AI hype era) - Internal linking is deterministic. - It’s clean. - It’s controllable. And because Screaming Frog’s Custom Search is rule-based, it gives you zero fluff and 100% clarity. Massively underrated technique. Ridiculously easy to set up. Works on every site. And still one of the best levers in the technical SEO toolbelt.

What happens when you delete over 50% of a website’s content? Only good things! This energy comparison site had over 1,000 outdated, off-topic, and low-value URLs, some dating back to 2015. After a in-depth content audit, we removed everything that didn’t align with their core proposition. No redirects. No rewrites. No second consolidation. Just straight-up deletion. The result? A huge increase in organic traffic, more customers entering the funnel, and conversion rate significantly up. Quality > Quantity. Always.

The new SEO isn’t on Google. It’s inside ChatGPT. And most digital businesses have not caught on to that yet. Right now, when someone types “best CRM for agencies” into ChatGPT... There’s a shortlist of 3–5 tools that get mentioned. If you’re not on it, you essentially don’t exist. This is a massive opportunity for businesses that move early. And a serious threat to those who don’t. If you want to rank inside ChatGPT, and get true visibility, this is what I'd do right now 👇 ✅ Step 1: Understand How ChatGPT Pulls Information ↳ ChatGPT doesn’t crawl the live web like Google. It ranks content based on: 🟠 Training data 🟠 Plugin integrations 🟠 Custom GPTs GPT-4o prioritises structured, high-authority content from its training set. ✅ Step 2: Reverse Engineer Prompts Your ICP Is Using ↳ Ask: “What would my ideal customer type into ChatGPT?” Use keyword tools like: 🔵 Ahrefs 🔵 Semrush 🔵 AnswerThePublic 🔵 AlsoAsked 🔵 Keyword Insights AI Prioritise prompts with clear buying intent. ✅ Step 3: Build Structured, High-Authority Content ↳ Create SEO-friendly landing pages, rather than useless blogs. Focus on: 🟡 “Best X” lists 🟡 Product comparisons 🟡 Clear how-tos 🟡 Decision trees Use formats like bullet points, tables, and pros/cons. ✅ Step 4: Get Referenced on GPT Training Set Sites ↳ Want to rank in answers? Be where GPT learned from. Target backlinks and mentions on: 🔴 Wikipedia 🔴 Reddit 🔴 Quora 🔴 Medium 🔴 Government sites 🔴 High DR media This helps with both SEO and visibility inside AI answers. ✅ Step 5: Create a Custom GPT Around Your Brand ↳ If you want full control, build a Custom GPT trained on your resources. ↳ Make it public and usable so it shows up in the Explore GPTs section. Example: Use “Compare CRMs” so your custom GPT can show up in the results. ✅ Step 6: Maintain and Optimise ↳ Regularly ask ChatGPT (incognito) what prompts you show up for ↳ Update content to match evolving prompt structures ↳ Get added to new “best of” or “top tool” lists quarterly This is the next great opportunity for visibility. Those who rank early will win big.  But those who delay won't be found at all. Have you started optimising for AI-driven search yet? Let me know what stage you're at in the comments ⬇️ - - - - 📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet: 1. Follow Chris Donnelly. 2. Like the post. 3. Repost to your network. 4. Subscribe to: https://bit.ly/4dCkNEf

📸 THERES something SEOs and content marketers can learn about this retail strategy: Cadbury isn’t in the chocolate aisle. It’s in the wine aisle. Why? Because customers pair wine with chocolate. They’re not chasing the “chocolate” buyer - they’re meeting the “Friday night in” shopper. They’re intercepting the intent, not just the category. 🍷+🍫 = A full experience. So why are we still obsessed with ranking for “chocolate” when the real magic happens in “wine night snacks,” “date night ideas,” or “best pairings with red wine”? 👀 If you want to own the moment, stop thinking in silos. Start thinking like a shopper. Like a user. SEO isn’t about ranking for what you sell. It’s about showing up where buying decisions happen. 👟 Trainers showing up in “marathon prep checklists” 💅 Nail polish on “wedding guest outfit” pages 🎧 Headphones on “how to sleep better” content 🧘 Protein shakes in “morning routine for energy” searches 🏕 Outdoor gear in “solo travel safety” guides Think outside your aisle. Own the occasion, not just the product.

SEO plan 2025 A – Audit Your Website: Begin with a comprehensive SEO audit. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links, duplicate content, and technical errors. B – Build Backlinks: Quality backlinks remain crucial. Focus on guest posting, digital PR, and creating link-worthy content. C – Core Web Vitals: Optimize for Google’s Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) to enhance user experience and improve rankings. D – Data-Driven Decisions: Use Google Analytics and Search Console to track performance and guide your SEO strategies. E – E-A-T Compliance: Establish Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness in your niche, especially for YMYL (Your Money Your Life) websites. F – Fresh Content: Regularly update or add new content. Google rewards websites that stay current and relevant. G – Google Business Profile: For local SEO, optimize and maintain an accurate Google Business Profile listing. H – Headings Optimization: Use H1, H2, H3 tags properly to structure content for both users and search engines. I – Internal Linking: Build a logical internal link structure to guide users and distribute link equity. J – JavaScript SEO: Ensure content rendered via JavaScript is crawlable and indexable by search engines. K – Keyword Research: Use modern tools like Semrush or Ubersuggest to identify long-tail and intent-driven keywords. L – Link Structure: Maintain clean and SEO-friendly URLs with proper slugs and no unnecessary parameters. M – Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-responsive, as mobile-first indexing is now the standard. N – Niche Authority: Focus on creating depth in your content to become an authority in your niche. O – On-Page SEO: Optimize titles, meta descriptions, images (alt tags), and content around target keywords. P – Page Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix slow-loading pages. Q – Quality Content: Always prioritize content that provides real value to users over keyword-stuffed articles. R – Responsive Design: Adapt your site design for all screen sizes and devices. S – Schema Markup: Implement structured data to enhance search listings with rich snippets. T – Technical SEO: Fix crawl errors, sitemaps, robots.txt, canonical tags, and other backend elements. U – User Experience (UX): A seamless UX improves dwell time, reduces bounce rate, and supports SEO. V – Voice Search Optimization: Target conversational queries and FAQs for better visibility in voice results. W – Web Security (HTTPS): Secure your site with SSL – it's a ranking factor and builds trust. X – XML Sitemap: Keep your XML sitemap updated and submit it to Google Search Console. Y – YouTube SEO: If you use videos, optimize titles, descriptions, and tags for better visibility on YouTube and Google. Z – Zero-Click Searches: Optimize for featured snippets, People Also Ask, and knowledge panels. #seoexpert #seo #topratedseoexpert #seotips #expartagency

Epic new dashboard: Google just created a new Looker template that allows you to analyze Google Analytics + Search Console data for SEO: This is a new resource that's available on Google Search Central that was created by Daniel Waisberg and Cherry Sireetorn Prommawin. In this article they link to a template that SEOs can use to analyze both GA4 and GSC data in one place. In order to use the dashboard you'll simply: 1. Open up the Dashboard link 2. Connect your Google Analytics 4 data 3. Connect your Search Console data (URL Impressions) The report will then auto-populate with some interesting visualizations of your SEO data such as: 1. Organic sessions and engagement rate over time: This maps your organic sessions against your engagement rate to see if there have been changes to your site engagement that align with your total traffic. 2. Percentage of organic traffic over time: This will give you an idea of how much of your total traffic is attributed to organic search and how that changes. 3. Clicks and CTR over time: This maps your website's total clicks and the CTR you're getting from search over a timeline view. You can see if a drop or increase in clicks is related to CTR changes. 4. Top pages and queries by clicks and click through rate: Shows you your pages and queries that have the strongest clicks or CTR. It can be filtered by either. Super useful for doing analysis and analyzing both Search Console and Google Analytics data in one report.