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What the episode covered
- Framework for SEO Experiments
- In Conclusion
- Podcast episode about SEO Testing
Some people believe that SEO experiments are not essential because they think Google’s Webmaster Guidelines are enough. Others believe that SEO tutorials and some videos you might be watching can set you up for SEO success.
But the truth is, it’s much more complex than that. According to Gert, Google’s algorithm is complicated. For instance, whenever you type in a search query, it is going to create essentially a mini algorithm where it figures out what is the best search result.
- Gert agreed that Google wants to make Google users happy. One way is by providing the most relevant answer to a search query as fast as possible.
In short, even if you know the best SEO practices and apply them to your site, you still don’t know if they will work for a particular algorithm. Even if something doesn’t work for one website, it will still work and produce instant results on other websites.
As an SEO expert, Gert witnessed this in his clients before. Some sites got almost an instant 20 to 25% boost on the set of URLs. But it didn’t work on another website. His team has their own testing sites to see how Google reacts to testing things in a safe space before applying them to their clients.
Do you ever feel stuck in a rut for your SEO? You may be looking for innovative and new ways to improve your site’s ranking, but you’re unsure where to start.
That’s where experiments come in. So, let’s go over the steps on Gert’s framework for SEO experiments.
What I would emphasize today
Search has moved beyond one channel. Google still matters, but your buyers also use AI answers, YouTube, Reddit, reviews, communities, and comparison content before they decide.
That means the practical question is not just “does this rank?” The better question is: does this help the right buyer find enough proof to trust us?
How to apply this now
- Diagnose the actual visibility gap.
- Check whether the buyer researches this topic on Google, AI tools, YouTube, Reddit, or another platform.
- Create the asset that answers the question clearly.
- Add proof, examples, and structure so both humans and AI systems can understand it.
- Measure whether the work leads to better qualified demand, not just more traffic.
My current take
The topic still matters, but the playbook has changed. SEO is no longer only about ranking a page. It is about being present with the right answer, on the right platform, at the moment the buyer is forming trust.
If you want to know where your visibility gaps are now, start with a diagnostic call or the AI Readiness Check.