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Nov 4
9m 21s

Pogo Sticking: The Hidden SEO Killer (an...

Edward Sturm
About this episode

E853: We break down one of the most important factors in SEO - pogo sticking.

You'll learn what it is, why it matters, how Google measures it, and the exact steps to prevent it from destroying your rankings.

What you'll learn:
- What pogo sticking means in SEO and why it's so dangerous
- How Google uses "short clicks" and "long clicks" to evaluate user satisfaction
- Insights from Google's leaked documentation and In the Plex by Steven Levy
- Why pogo sticking is one of the strongest behavioral signals in SEO
- The four biggest reasons users pogo stick back to search results
- Practical methods to reduce pogo sticking and increase dwell time
- How to design content that satisfies search intent immediately
- Why user trust and credibility signals affect engagement
- The relationship between pogo sticking, UX, and content depth

Key takeaways:
- Always give users what they're looking for above the fold
- Avoid incomplete or shallow answers
- Make answers easy to find and navigate to
- Build credibility through design, clarity, and transparency

If your pages get clicks but don't stay ranked, pogo sticking is likely the reason.

Understanding this behavior and optimizing for it will improve both your rankings and your user satisfaction metrics.

💎 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 Pogo Sticking in SEO
00:37 What is Pogo Sticking?
01:00 Google's Perspective on User Satisfaction
03:12 Top Four Ways to Prevent Pogo Sticking
06:35 Common Misconceptions About Pogo Sticking
08:12 Conclusion

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #seotips #pogostickingseo #digitalmarketing

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