Sourabh Rana

Inside the Mind of an SEO Expert: A Q&A with Sourabh Rana

Content marketing has evolved into an art form that transcends traditional marketing boundaries. It allows businesses to showcase their expertise, creativity, and unique brand voice while providing value to their audience. SEO is an integral part of every content marketing strategy as it ensures that content is not only valuable and engaging but also optimized to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), making it more discoverable to the target audience.

In this conversation, Sourabh Rana, SEO Director at ADDA247 talks about the nuances of Search Engine Optimization. Let’s dive in.

1. Please introduce yourself.

I'm Sourabh Rana, and I am the SEO Director at ADDA247, a leading EdTech company in India. With over a decade of experience in the content marketing and SEO domain, I have had the opportunity to work with various businesses, helping them achieve their desired goals through effective SEO and content marketing practices. My expertise lies in managing teams, strategizing, and handling operations to ensure the seamless execution of our marketing plans. I am passionate about staying updated with the latest trends and technology in the industry to provide the best results for our clients.

Every day, every month in the SEO field is a learning experience, with Google updates and the changing marketing trends. But it's an exciting roller coaster, and I have been actively involved in adapting to these changes throughout my career.

2. What got you into content marketing or SEO? Tell us about your journey.

My journey in the content marketing and SEO space began around 2009 when the industry was primarily focused on link building and other search engine-centric practices. Over the years, I have witnessed a significant shift in the industry towards user-focused strategies, with an emphasis on quality content, user experience, and providing real value to the audience.

As the industry evolved, so did my approach to SEO and content marketing. I embraced the changes and continuously adapted my strategies to align with the latest Google updates and marketing trends. This has included focusing on producing genuine and valuable content, enhancing user experience, and optimizing for relevant, targeted traffic rather than just aiming for high volumes of traffic.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with different businesses, helping them improve their online presence and achieve their marketing objectives. It has been a fulfilling journey, and I am excited to see what the future holds for the industry.

3. How do you see AI-driven tools impact marketers now?

AI-driven tools have revolutionized the way marketers approach content marketing and SEO. The introduction of these tools has enabled marketers to streamline their processes, make data-driven decisions, and develop more effective strategies. These AI-driven tools can be broadly categorized into two types:

Tools that help analyze and monitor the health of your website: These tools, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Schema Validator, and Google Search Console, provide valuable insights into the performance and optimization of your website. By identifying areas of improvement, marketers can make informed decisions to enhance the user experience and boost their search engine rankings.

And tools that enable you to gauge your competitors' performance and identify content gaps: These tools help you gather critical data about your competitors, enabling you to analyze their strategies and identify potential growth opportunities. By understanding the competitive landscape, marketers can tailor their strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

4. Do you identify some common pain points that you feel that other SEO professionals across India and the world might experience as well?

One common pain point for SEO professionals is the rapid pace at which Google and other search engines update their algorithms. These frequent updates often require marketers to continuously update their skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the game, which can be challenging.

Another pain point is the tendency for some SEO professionals to focus solely on generating traffic rather than targeted, relevant traffic that leads to conversions and sales. This can result in a disconnect between the marketing objectives and actual business outcomes.

To overcome these challenges, professionals in the industry must prioritize constant learning and adaptability. Staying updated with the latest trends and technology will help them navigate the ever-changing landscape of SEO and content marketing. Additionally, adopting a business-oriented mindset and focusing on driving targeted, relevant traffic will ensure that their marketing efforts translate into tangible results for the business.

There are two things that people and the industry should focus on - rather than generating a lot of traffic, generating relevant traffic and useful, targeted traffic is much more beneficial for the business.

5. When you undertake a campaign, how do you plan out the whole structure for yourself? How would you sort of review the work that has happened till now, how would you review it in the team?

When undertaking a campaign, the first step involves thoroughly understanding the competitive landscape, which helps determine the level of effort required to succeed in the particular niche. This understanding enables me to allocate resources effectively and strategize according to the competition.

To stay organized, I use Google tracking tools to track campaign progress, set objectives, and monitor KPIs. Regular communication with my team members is crucial, as it helps us collaborate and stay on top of the campaign's performance. We hold weekly review meetings to discuss our progress, address any challenges we face, and gather feedback from team members to improve our strategies.

In the initial phase of a campaign, we analyze the website's performance for two to three months, focusing on aspects like user behavior and website metrics. Based on this analysis, we create a long-term, rock-solid strategy for the next quarter. This data-driven approach helps us adapt and respond effectively to any changes in the campaign's progress or industry trends.

6. How do you keep up with the trends and adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of trending keywords and buzzwords?

Staying updated with industry trends and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of trending keywords and buzzwords is a continuous process that requires constant monitoring, learning, and experimentation. I stay ahead of the curve by reading industry news, engaging in online discussions, attending webinars, and participating in industry events.

In addition, I use SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to track keyword rankings, conduct competitor analysis, and discover new keywords that are gaining traction. Being flexible and open to change is crucial, as new keywords or trends may emerge at any time, requiring a swift response to capitalize on the opportunities they present.

I often compare Performance Marketing and SEO to allopathic and homeopathic medicine, respectively. Google Ads works quickly, while SEO takes a more gradual approach.

7. What are the problems that you recollect which were very unusual and unique and what was the solution?

One of the most unusual and unique problems I've faced in my career involved dealing with competitors using expired domains to increase their traffic and rankings rapidly. These domains had a high authority and strong backlink profiles, enabling them to outrank well-established websites in a short period. This was the first time I encountered such a situation, and it required a different approach to tackle the challenge effectively.

In response to this issue, we had to devise new strategies to strengthen our domain authority, improve our content quality, and build a robust backlink profile to counteract the competitors' tactics. This experience taught me the importance of staying vigilant and adapting to new challenges that arise in the ever-changing world of SEO.

8. What would you advise somebody new to the content marketing space?

Every marketer should master Microsoft Office tools, including Excel and PowerPoint, as well as Google Sheets and Google Docs. Being proficient in these tools will greatly benefit your career.

9. If you have a blank platform or space where you could include all tools, what would that platform look like to you?

If I had a blank platform to include all necessary tools, I would envision a comprehensive, user-friendly dashboard that integrates all essential tools for a complete content marketing and SEO solution. This platform would accommodate millions of traffic and a vast number of pages, streamlining workflows and improving overall efficiency. The platform would incorporate:

Content management: A robust content management system to create, edit, and manage various types of content, including blog posts, landing pages, and multimedia assets.
Link building: A suite of tools to help identify high-quality backlink opportunities, monitor existing backlinks, and analyze competitors' backlink profiles.
SEO tools: A comprehensive set of SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, enabling marketers to track keyword rankings, conduct competitor analysis, and discover new keywords and trends.
Technical SEO features: Site auditing tools to analyze and improve website performance, address technical issues, and ensure optimal user experience.
Data analysis and reporting: Seamless integration with data analysis tools, allows marketers to track campaign performance, analyze website metrics, and make data-driven decisions.
Collaboration and communication: Built-in features that facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between team members, helping them stay in sync and work together efficiently.