E751: João Filipe Pereira, my guest, has led SEO at Eventbrite and TripAdvisor.
We go deep into surprising SEO experiments that challenge conventional wisdom - and actually improved traffic, even after Google’s latest updates.
In this episode:
- How adding 2 H1 tags (instead of one) boosted rankings
- Why removing meta descriptions increased CTR
- Using AI for keyword research and finding new content opportunities
- Split-testing for SEO
- Lessons from Google’s recent core updates
- Bottom-of-funnel keywords: why they convert better and how to find them
- Programmatic SEO at scale (and what smaller sites can learn from it)
- How to spot and fix thin or underperforming content
- Aligning SEO with revenue goals to get leadership buy-in
- A clever link-building case study: EF’s global English proficiency index
- João’s personal journey breaking into SEO at major companies
- The mindset shift needed to test, persist, and keep innovating in SEO
If you want to hear real-world SEO experiments (and what they mean for your site), this episode is for you.
João Filipe Pereira is author of SEO as a Distribution Game & currently Director of Marketing at Busbud.
With over a decade of experience leading growth and SEO at major companies like Eventbrite, TripAdvisor, EF, and Hostelworld, João brings a product-oriented perspective to organic marketing.
At Busbud, he’s focused on scaling demand through SEO, conversion, and content strategies aligned with business outcomes. Known for challenging outdated playbooks, João believes SEO is no longer just about rankings, but about visibility across all the surfaces where users discover content.
He’s a frequent speaker at global conferences like BrightonSEO and DMWF, and is passionate about helping teams think more clearly, act faster, and build marketing systems that work. He’s a dad of two, a fan of strong espresso, and, when he’s not working, escapes on long road trips.
⭐️ Add João Filipe Pereira on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaofpereira/
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Introduction to SEO Experiments
01:33 H1 Tag Experiment Insights
04:00 Split Testing Methodology
05:19 SEO Testing Case Studies
07:18 Client Work and SEO Strategies
16:06 No Meta Descriptions Test
18:10 SEO for AI and Press Releases
29:33 Content Quality and Google's Algorithm
41:14 Google's Organic Value and AI in Keyword Research
41:47 Machine Learning for Keyword Intent Identification
43:35 LLMs for Content Strategy
45:56 In-House Data Processing for Large Websites
48:07 Programmatic SEO for Large and Small Sites
52:46 Building Authority and Linkable Assets
01:01:38 Personal Stories of Persistence in Marketing
01:08:42 SEO Strategies and the Changing Landscape
01:18:27 Final Thoughts
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
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