What is the #1 biggest challenge SEOs face in 2022? 

“Every niche is becoming more competitive. We need to be more aggressive and relentless with our strategies. SEO is much more expensive than it was 10 years ago. Today a successful SEO approach takes more time, money, content, links, and other technical implementations. The algorithm is better at understanding user intent these days.”

Fery Kaszoni is currently the managing director of Search Intelligence, a PR link-building agency that focuses on acquiring high-tier backlinks on reputable and trusted online publications, using research-based insights and PR stories that journalists love. Fery’s first encounter with SEO was unintended, but it sparked his interest in the beneficial alliance between public relations techniques and SEO backlink-building approaches.

JOIN RUSS MACUMBER IN CONVERSATION WITH FERY KASZONI ON CREATING NEWSWORTHY CONTENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEO BACKLINK STRATEGY.

Fery started dabbling in digital marketing around 2008 by experimenting with blogs, XML, and JavaScript. When media outlets were booming with news about water found on the moon, Fery wrote and published an article about the trending topic. Much to his surprise, he gained over 20,000 visitors to his post in less than a day, and his article ranked number one on Google. 

With a focus on PR link building, Russ Macumber chats with Fery about understanding the media landscape and creating a mutually beneficial exchange with journalists to develop valuable content that produces successful results for the clients. 

“We don’t care about the client’s product. We need to create a story that interests the journalist and the audience.” - Fery Kaszoni, on creating backlink content that benefits the client and the journalist. 

Click play to get started!

The conversation covers:

• Fery’s first encounter with SEO (4:09)
• Fery’s career beginnings (5:55) 
• Fery’s learning process (7:47) 
• The pivotal moment that led Fery to PR link building (9:54) 
• Important learning points (12:04)
• Client’s involvement in the process (13:28) 
• Coming up with a relevant topic (14:10)
• Framing content from a unique angle (14:53) 
• How to define a link quality (16:40)
• The importance of storytelling-focused content (17:36) 
• Building a contact list of journalists (18:49) 
• Industries and niches that suit Fery’s working style and approach (22:01)
• The structure of the story provided to journalists (23:26)
• 3 key steps to a successful PR link-building experiment (24:42)
• 
  

Quickfire Vox Pop Q&A

Which previous Google algorithm change still keeps you up at night?

I started a website in February 2020 and created hundreds of thousands of pages about coronavirus cases for every city and location in the world. I was ranking on page 1 for “Coronavirus Paris” and “Coronavirus London, and I was making many thousands of pounds every month in just passive income. However, a Google update came in May 2022, which turned everything upside down - I lost all the traffic from Google Analytics. 

Gun to your head… which do you prefer: content or links?

Content 

What’s the most effective link-building technique you have used?

PR link building is the most effective technique, but I’m not dismissing other approaches. 

What do you love most about SEO?

The fact that you can be a nobody and in 6 months, you can dominate a certain aspect of a niche. It’s endless opportunities. 

How do you apply SEO principles to your daily life?

If things go wrong, just pick up and go. Things always go wrong with SEO - whether it’s a Google update or the competitors. So pick up, move on, and try different things. 

WFH life or Office life or Hybrid life?

Hybrid

SEMrush or Ahrefs?

Ahrefs

Agency or In-house or Combo?

Agency. Agencies are cool. 



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