SEO, Search Engine Optimization, has always been a topic of interest for many—from individuals looking to generate leads to organizations eager to scale up. It would be wrong to say it never crosses anyone’s mind. However, while it remains a necessity for every business, many of us aim and miss at accomplishing it. They say SEO is not for the faint of heart because it requires patience, quality content, and strategic optimization. But is that really true? What exactly is quality content? And is SEO optimization really that complex? These are questions often left unanswered, especially for those dreaming of having their businesses rank on page one.
But as someone who always seeks answers, I couldn’t just let these questions go by. Believe me, I wasn’t going to rest until I found them. I knew I needed answers from someone who truly understands the intricacies of SEO. So, just like any private investigator (which I am not), I set out to find the one who had all those answers. I was looking for someone with experience, expertise, and knowledge. In short, I was looking for the best SEO specialist I could find, and after a bit of research (stalking, some might say, but I’d disagree), I found him.
Meet Davor Bomestar , a seasoned SEO specialist and mentor with over 17 years of experience in the field. With a proven track record of helping businesses not just rank but thrive in the ever-competitive digital world, he was the perfect person to answer my burning questions.
Sitting down with Mr. Bomestar felt like opening a treasure trove of SEO wisdom. From debunking common myths to sharing practical SEO tips that anyone can apply, our conversation was nothing short of enlightening. Here’s how it went:
Editor’s note: We’ve lightly edited this interview for clarity and readability.
Q1. Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to specialize in SEO?
It all started with me not liking college, so I decided to drop out. At the time, I couldn’t land a decent job, so I chose to start my own business—a web design service for local businesses. In the beginning, I struggled to get clients, and as an introvert, cold-calling or cold-emailing wasn’t an option for me. I wanted clients to come to me.
To achieve that, I needed to be visible on Google, so I started diving into SEO. As I delved deeper, my interest grew. I optimized my website, added some content, and soon enough, I ranked on page one. One thing led to another, and I slowly transitioned to doing SEO full-time. Later, I found a partner in the US who was bringing in clients, and I took charge of organizing the operations. We focused on link building, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t my passion.
A few years later, I exited the partnership and pivoted to producing SEO content so good that it could naturally generate backlinks on its own. And this remains my specialization to this day.
Q2. What are the most significant SEO trends businesses should focus on in 2024?
Trends like SXO (Search Experience Optimization) are worth following. SXO aligns perfectly with what I’ve been advocating for years—the importance of combining SEO and UX to create a more satisfying experience for website visitors.
Understanding human psychology and behavior, while also accounting for decreasing attention spans, should be integral to any marketing strategy, including SEO.
Q3. How do you approach optimizing content for search engines while still keeping it engaging for readers?
One should not exclude the other, but we tend to prioritize and focus more on engaging content. It seems that people struggle more with that aspect than with basic SEO optimization.
Simply put, if the content is interesting to readers and satisfies their search intent, then basic optimization—like a good title tag, URL, and mentioning the main keyword throughout the article—is usually sufficient for the algorithm. What makes content engaging is, first and foremost, its structure, followed by formatting, the inclusion of multimedia, and storytelling. Those who combine all these elements with on-page optimization best practices are the ones who succeed on SERPs.
Q4. What are the key factors in building an effective backlink strategy, especially for nonprofits or small businesses with limited resources?
I always advise using your own strengths and becoming a useful resource in order to get other websites to link to you. For instance, a lot of us have (or could get) access to some data that is unique to us. We can survey our clients, followers on social media platforms, etc. and create reports.
For example, a nonprofit organization could write about how their program is impacting the local community, or explore the homelessness situation in their area. With a bit of creativity, such data can be transformed into a report and published on the website. Then, other journalists can find it, reference it, and link to it. Additionally, one can send the report to a group of journalists directly to get some coverage. All those things can be done very cheaply.
Q5. How has AI impacted SEO, and how can businesses leverage tools like ChatGPT in their optimization efforts?
Unfortunately, AI has led to a lot of spammy practices that only work in the short term. It has allowed people to churn out hundreds of SEO articles a day and grow their websites enormously. Many of these websites are penalized and have lost their traffic. Businesses can use Chat GPT in many different ways, but it all depends on the knowledge level of the person using it. You have to be able to course correct. If not, you won’t be able to detect bad advice from Chat GPT.
I’d advise companies to try to use it for quality assurance. It can help you identify areas for improvement, bounce ideas, or spot some gaps or problems.
Q6. What common SEO mistakes do you see businesses making, and how can they avoid them?
The majority of websites in the B2B space don’t really know how to produce engaging SEO content. It’s always one or the other, especially when it comes to blog content.
Either the website creates thought leadership content that is not optimized and doesn’t rank, or they produce SEO articles that are written purely for SEO and don’t have any competitive edge over other ranking content.
But the key is to learn how to do both.
Q7. What is one tip you would give to nonprofits and brands who are looking to scale up?
Prioritize.
Don’t try to copy big brands in your niche, if you don’t have the same budget. If you want to grow with SEO content, find the topic you want to “own” and focus your SEO strategy around that topic first. What term do you want to be known for and associated with? Build authority around that topic first, on your blog and on your social media. When you achieve success there, adjust the strategy and spread out if needed.
And just like that, Mr. Bomestar decoded the complexities of SEO with Sunan, in the most simplest ways possible. Now, the answers were there, and the only thing left was to implement them religiously. Mr. Bomestar taught us SEO isn’t as complex as it seems, all it requires is balance and prioritizing. Perhaps focusing more on what value we provide through content, would be a good starter on the road to SEO optimization. You can find Davor Bomestar on Linkedin, where he frequently shares valuable information, tips and insights on how to win at SEO.
