Thomas Jepsen on Common Website Problems You NEED To Fix!

This video is about an interview with Thomas Jepsen, an SEO expert, where he discusses common website problems, case studies, and his controversial take on topical authority.

This video by Niche Website Builders was published on Mar 14, 2023.
Video length: 58:32.

This video is an interview with Thomas Jepsen, a well-known figure in the SEO community.

The video covers various topics related to website problems and solutions. Thomas discusses his previous experience with lead generation sites and shares insights from his case studies. He also talks about common problems that websites face and provides tips for diagnosing and fixing them. Additionally, Thomas shares information about his current content and e-commerce sites, as well as his controversial take on topical authority.

The video is part of the Niche Website Builders podcast, which focuses on helping people build profitable online assets.

• Thomas Jepsen started selling USB sticks on eBay but realized it was a bad idea.
• He got into SEO and learned it.
• He got a job at an online marketing agency.
• He accidentally got into Home Improvement and started generating leads.
• Revenue numbers tripled and quadrupled overnight.
• He had a website in Home Improvement during the AdSense phase.
• Common problems with websites include slow loading speed, not being mobile-friendly, poor user experience, lack of quality content, low search engine rankings, and technical issues like broken links or duplicate content.
• Successful websites have high-quality content, a strong backlink profile, optimization for search engines, good user experience, regular updates with fresh content, and engaging and shareable content.
• Thomas Jepsen challenges the importance of topical authority in SEO and suggests focusing on creating comprehensive and valuable content instead.

Thomas Jepsen on Common Website Problems You NEED To Fix! - YouTube

Background of Thomas Jepsen

• Started selling USB sticks on eBay but realized it was a bad idea
• Got into SEO and learned it
• Got a job at an online marketing agency
• Accidentally got into Home Improvement and started generating leads
• Revenue numbers tripled and quadrupled overnight
• Had a website in Home Improvement during the AdSense phase

Common Problems with Websites

• Slow loading speed
• Not mobile-friendly
• Poor user experience
• Lack of quality content
• Low search engine rankings
• Technical issues like broken links or duplicate content

Similarities in Successful Websites

• High-quality content that provides value to users
• Strong backlink profile from authoritative websites
• Optimized for search engines with proper keyword targeting
• Good user experience with easy navigation and clear call-to-actions
• Regularly updated with fresh content
• Engaging and shareable content that attracts social media attention

Thomas Jepsen on Common Website Problems You NEED To Fix! - YouTube

Controversial Take on Topical Authority

• Challenges the importance of topical authority in SEO
• Believes that relevance and quality of content matter more than topical authority
• Suggests focusing on creating comprehensive and valuable content instead
• Emphasizes the importance of user intent and satisfying user needs
• Advocates for a holistic approach to SEO rather than solely relying on topical authority

Background and Introduction

• The speaker was generating leads for home improvement companies before graduating.
• He moved to the US after graduating and his website lost 85-90% of its traffic.
• He accidentally got into the home improvement niche due to high search volume and competition metrics.
• He had a job while studying and had exposure to the industry through contractors.
• He initially sold leads through a company called Networks.

Lead Generation and Pricing

• The speaker negotiated with Networks to sell his leads.
• He focused on optimizing revenue per lead rather than increasing traffic.
• He integrated with a software called PX and partnered with Home Advisor and other companies.
• The software would ping multiple companies for the best price for each lead.
• He was paid per lead, which was more profitable than being paid per conversion.

Scaling and Exit

• The speaker raised money to scale his lead generation business.
• However, the scaling process did not go as planned and he ended up exiting the business.
• He is no longer generating home improvement leads and has moved on to other ventures.

Impact of Website Traffic Loss

• The speaker's website lost 85-90% of its traffic after moving to the US.
• He did not rely solely on the website for revenue at that time.
• It is unclear whether he moved to the US for a job or if the website was his main source of income.

Thomas Jepsen's website problems and recovery

• Thomas Jepsen's website was hit by penalties due to blackhat SEO practices and scaling too quickly.
• His content provider had been plagiarizing articles, which passed copy Escape but not Google's scrutiny.
• He managed to recover the site to some extent but not fully.
• He decided to diversify and create new sites to raise VC funding.
• His goal was to redirect underutilized websites to his site and turn it into a domain authority monster.

Exit and sales price of Thomas Jepsen's site

• Thomas Jepsen exited his site for a sales price of $300,000.
• The site was potentially worth more, but he had taken on VC money and was doing better things.
• He did not share the exact numbers, but the site could have been worth around $600,000 to $700,000.

Thomas Jepsen's current focus and future plans

• Thomas Jepsen is no longer focused on local lead generation as it does not excite him and is difficult to exit.
• He wants to build something that generates a significant amount of passive income or has a substantial exit potential.
• He is currently building something that has the potential for passive income and good growth.
• He is also involved in e-commerce.

Building with VC Money

• Setting up a pipeline and generating leads before approaching VC for funding.
• VC funding allows for quicker growth and building a larger team.
• Looking for a VC partner who aligns with the entrepreneur's vision and has industry connections.
• Understanding the power structure and timeline between the VC and the entrepreneur.
• Agreeing on required paperwork and what actions require board approval.

Raising Money with a Content Site

• The stage at which VC funding can be raised depends on the history and connections of the entrepreneur.
• Some entrepreneurs have raised money with just an idea or napkin numbers.
• Half a million dollar range is not inconceivable for raising funds.
• Raising money before having a product is possible, especially for successful startup founders.
• It depends on the risk appetite and excitement generated in the investor.

Finding VCs

• There is no specific way to find VCs, it varies from case to case.
• Online platforms and networks can be used to connect with potential VCs.
• Networking and reaching out to people in the industry can also help in finding VCs.
• There is a lot of complexity involved in the process of finding and approaching VCs.
• It requires research, preparation, and understanding of the investor landscape.

Similarities between successful websites

• Websites with word counts above a thousand tend to perform better.
• Index pages, category pages, and tag pages tend to have low word counts, which can artificially lower the overall word count of a website.
• Google has limited resources to index and process everything, so they prioritize pages with higher word counts.
• Having a higher word count shows consideration towards Google and indicates that the website is not wasting resources on irrelevant content.
• Good formatting is important for both AI content and usability.
• Google may have relaxed their stance on AI content, but AI is less likely to do a good job at formatting.

Controversial belief on word count

• Thomas Jepsen controversially believes that word count is an important factor for website success.
• He has found that sites with word counts above a thousand tend to perform better.
• However, word count is not the only indicator of quality.
• Index pages, category pages, and tag pages can artificially lower the word count of a website.
• Google prioritizes pages with higher word counts because they have limited resources to process everything.

Importance of good formatting

• Good formatting is important for both AI content and usability.
• It makes content easier to read and improves the user experience.
• Google may have relaxed their stance on AI content, but AI is less likely to do a good job at formatting.
• Good formatting is also important for fighting AI-generated content.
• Proper formatting shows consideration towards Google and improves the overall quality of the website.

Consideration towards Google

• Having a higher word count shows consideration towards Google and indicates that the website is not wasting resources on irrelevant content.
• Google prioritizes pages with higher word counts because they have limited resources to process everything.
• Proper formatting shows consideration towards Google and improves the overall quality of the website.
• Consideration towards Google includes avoiding AI-generated content and focusing on user experience.
• Considering Google's preferences can help improve a website's visibility and performance in search engine rankings.

Good formatting for SEO

• Shorter sentences and breaking up sentences.
• Using lists to organize information.
• Using appealing imagery.
• Formatting content in HTML format.
• Improving user experience through formatting.

Custom imagery and its impact

• Custom imagery is beneficial for affiliate content.
• No marginal benefit to using custom imagery for non-affiliate content.
• Depends on the type of content being created.
• Google treats different types of content differently.
• AI algorithms may affect the treatment of content.

AI-assisted content and risk tolerance

• AI-assisted content is a matter of risk tolerance.
• AI content can work if done correctly.
• Google has historically been against auto-generated content.
• Using AI content increases the risk of penalties.
• AI can be used as an assistant in content creation.

Potential changes with GPT-4

• Uncertainty about how Google will treat AI-generated content.
• Thresholds for penalization are unknown.
• GPT-4 may bring changes to content creation and SEO.
• Google's future decisions and updates are unpredictable.
• Questions about how GPT-4 will impact SEO strategies.

AI Content and its Impact

• AI is expected to make content creation faster and more difficult for Google to detect.
• Thomas Jepsen is skeptical about AI as a search cutter and believes that human connection is important.
• Version four of AI is expected to have even more impact.
• Google's presentation experienced technical difficulties, causing a drop in stock price.
• Thomas Jepsen believes that search still has potential for success.

Word Count and Keyword Selection

• Thomas Jepsen aims for at least a thousand words in articles to increase the likelihood of Google displaying a snippet.
• He focuses on keyword selection and chooses queries where a longer word count is necessary.
• Word count and keyword selection are important factors in his case studies.

Case Study Similarities

• Successful case studies usually have good word counts.
• Index blows on a site can affect rankings.
• Thomas Jepsen has come across case studies with lower word counts that still perform well.
• He mentions a case study on selling cockroaches for bearded terrariums that did not perform as expected.
• Word count and competition level can vary in different case studies.

Identifying Index Bloat

• Use tools like Screaming Frog to analyze your website's index pages.
• Check Google Search Console to see if there are any pages that shouldn't be indexed.
• If you have a large number of indexed pages, it could be a sign of index bloat.
• Index bloat can lead to penalties from search engines.
• Audit your website to identify and clean up unnecessary indexed pages.

Noindex vs Indexing Category Pages

• If you want to rank for a specific term, it may be beneficial to index category pages.
• For e-commerce websites, it makes sense to keep category pages indexed.
• Ensure that category pages have relevant and properly optimized content.
• Consider the purpose and value of category pages in terms of traffic and goals.
• Have a strategy to improve the probability of ranking without relying heavily on category pages.

Improving Crawlability

• Create sitemaps and submit them to Google Search Console.
• Strategically use internal linking to improve crawlability.
• Use tools like Link Whisperer to identify orphan pages that are not linked to.
• Link relevant pages together to pass page rank and improve search engine visibility.
• Cluster keywords to naturally link between articles without forcing it.

Common Website Problems

• Index bloat is a common problem that can lead to penalties.
• Orphan pages that are not linked to can hinder crawlability.
• Over-optimized or irrelevant internal links can negatively impact rankings.
• Not having a clear strategy for internal linking can result in missed opportunities.
• Having thin or low-quality content on category pages can be detrimental.

Common website problems

• Many websites have indexing issues and don't prioritize cleaning up their site.
• Improving formatting and comparing your site to top-ranking sites is important.
• Owners need to be open-minded and willing to accept feedback on what competitors are doing better.
• A paid audit can help identify areas for improvement, such as word count, formatting, and interlinking.
• It's important to focus not just on technical SEO, but also on generating revenue for the website.

Thomas Jepsen's own sites

• One of Thomas Jepsen's sites has experienced significant traffic growth and is performing well on Ahrefs.
• Another site is focused on lead generation and underwent challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Thomas managed to buy an e-commerce platform for PPE equipment, but faced issues with equipment availability and staffing.
• He is currently revamping the site to focus on lead generation and potentially seeking an exit strategy.

Number of Articles on the Site

• The site originally had around 400 articles, but it was reduced to about 100-150 articles.
• The decision to reduce the number of articles was based on their performance in terms of traffic and revenue.
• Some of the newest performing articles were removed as they were not contributing to the site's goals.
• After removing the articles, some of them were brought back online to improve the site's performance.
• The site experienced a penalty, but it has since made a full recovery.

Deciding Which Articles to Noindex

• When deciding which articles to noindex, the focus was on the newest performing articles that were not generating traffic or revenue.
• The goal was to remove articles that were not serving any strategic purpose.
• By removing and improving articles, the site was able to recover from a penalty.

Deleting and Redirecting Articles

• The deleted articles were 301 redirected to avoid 404 pages.
• There are different opinions on whether redirecting to the home page or individual articles is more effective.
• The author redirected the deleted articles to the home page.
• It is believed that the links to the deleted articles are still passing juice and contributing to the site's relevance.
• Redirecting the articles did not have any negative consequences for the site.

Monetization of the Site

• The site is mainly monetized through ad revenue and some affiliate marketing.
• The author believes there are still many easy keywords to target for monetization.

Monetization and Growth Plans

• There is a lot of money to be made from publishing content that ranks for easy to rank keywords.
• Once you have enough traffic, you can explore other monetization options beyond ads.
• Thomas Jepsen mentions that he is considering branching out into digital products.
• He also mentions the possibility of partnering with VCs for certain projects.
• He emphasizes the importance of getting the search listings right before investing heavily in content production.

Using Upwork for Content Creation

• Thomas Jepsen recommends using Upwork and hourly contracts for content creation.
• Upwork takes screenshots every 15 minutes to ensure that the content is not AI-generated.
• This helps to ensure that the content is human-written, especially when paying for non-AI content.

Approach to Keywords and Topical Authority

• Thomas Jepsen is not a believer in topical authority.
• He prefers to have a site that covers a variety of topics rather than focusing on one specific industry or idea.
• He acknowledges that topical authority can simplify things for beginners.
• However, he has seen successful sites that cover a range of topics and still perform well in search rankings.
• Google ranks individual pages, not just websites, so interlinking relevant pages is important.

Common Website Problems

• Thomas Jepsen discusses common website problems and case studies.
• He talks about the controversial concept of topical authority.
• He mentions that beginners in digital marketing may find this debate easier to understand.
• Thomas shares his perspective on turning an Ecom site or PPE site into a potential lead generation site.
• He explains how he plans to sell leads to companies for a higher price.

Managing Relationships and Lead Generation

• Thomas explains that managing relationships with companies for lead generation is done through a handshake agreement.
• He mentions using technology to automatically send leads to companies.
• Thomas assumes that companies have a CRM system to manage the leads.
• He admits that he hasn't figured out the management portion of lead generation yet.
• Thomas mentions that he can be found on Twitter (@JepsonThomas) for inquiries about audits or consulting.

Watch the video on YouTube:
Thomas Jepsen on Common Website Problems You NEED To Fix! - YouTube