Game plan for balancing journalistic quality with search performance

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• Part 1Applying Journalistic Thinking & Principles to SEO

  In today's content-saturated landscape, SEO needs journalistic principles. Dina Rickman, Senior Director at GoFundMe, shares how her background in journalism transformed her approach to search strategy. She explains how firsthand experience and original reporting create content that genuinely engages users, why traditional keyword-focused tactics are losing effectiveness, and how editorial intuition can be developed through data analysis and experimentation.

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• Part 2How many journalism principles that apply to SEO can you name in 30 seconds?

  In this lightning round episode, Dina Rickman of GoFundMe demonstrates how journalism principles directly apply to SEO strategy. She highlights the critical "who, what, where, why, when, how" framework as fundamental to both disciplines, emphasizing that users need immediate context regardless of their entry point. Rickman explains that effective SEO content must quickly establish relevance, deliver key information, and create engagement hooks to prevent single-page visits and bounces.

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• Part 3Is using clickbait ever going to die off?

  Is clickbait truly harmful or just misunderstood? Dina Rickman from GoFundMe reframes the clickbait debate by distinguishing between compelling headlines and content that fails to deliver on its promise. She argues that creating interest-driving headlines is fundamental to publishing success, while emphasizing that the real problem occurs when content doesn't fulfill what the headline promised.

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• Part 4One word that describes the relationship between journalistic integrity and SEO success today

  Journalistic integrity and SEO success share a symbiotic relationship. Dina Rickman from GoFundMe explains how quality content must deliver on the promise of its headline and target keywords to truly rank well. She emphasizes that effective SEO content requires honesty, specificity for the intended audience, and the ability to fulfill user expectations—principles that mirror fundamental journalistic standards.

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• Part 5Optimizing for search visibility vs reader engagement

  Search visibility versus reader engagement presents a false dichotomy. Dina Rickman, from GoFundMe, explains why reader engagement ultimately drives sustainable search visibility in the long term. She explores why brands should prioritize answering user questions effectively rather than simply appearing everywhere, and demonstrates how negative brand associations from poor content can undermine visibility gains.

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• Current Podcast

  Part 6Game plan for balancing journalistic quality with search performance

  Balancing journalistic quality with search performance is a critical SEO challenge. Dina Rickman from GoFundMe shares her expertise on creating content that satisfies both editorial standards and search algorithms. She recommends hiring former journalists to create high-quality content that naturally performs well in search, emphasizing that exceptional content published in traditional media will also succeed in SEO. Rickman argues that today's best SEO content often exceeds traditional journalism standards, creating lasting value rather than short-term ranking gains.