In this episode, Brent Peterson interviews Thomas Phillips, founder of DTC SEO Agency. They discuss Thomas's early entrepreneurial journey, the evolution of SEO, and the importance of effective strategies for e-commerce businesses. Thomas shares insights on technical SEO, content creation, link building, and common mistakes that merchants make. The conversation also touches on the significance of localization and understanding different markets in SEO.

takeaways

• Thomas started his first business at 13, selling finger skateboards online.
• SEO was learned out of necessity to drive traffic without a budget.
• Technical SEO is crucial for a solid foundation.
• Content creation should involve human editors, even when using AI.
• Link building is essential for establishing site authority.
• Common mistakes include deleting products and not optimizing pages.
• Cannibalization can hurt SEO rankings if not managed properly.
• Localization is important for targeting different markets effectively.
• Using relevant keywords in URLs and headings is vital for SEO success.
• Testing apps on a development site can prevent technical issues.

Sound Bites

• "I started my first proper business online at 13."
• "SEO is just on-site and that's it."
• "Links are effectively the rocket fuel for a site."

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Thomas's Role

02:57
Thomas's Journey in E-commerce

08:39
The Importance of Technical SEO

09:42
Optimizing Product and Collection Pages

11:10
The Role of Link Building

23:52
Common Mistakes in E-commerce SEO

27:53
Cannibalization and Keyword Optimization

35:47
The Impact of American English vs. British English

37:18
Conclusion and Contact Information