Brian Dean on Selling to SEMrush, Evergreen SEO Strategies, Exploding Topics, and More #2065

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this special episode, we are joined by Brian Dean to share updates on Backlinko and Exploding Topics. As many of you know, Brian recently sold Backlinko to SEMrush, and in our discussion we hear about how he started the SEO blog, how he excelled in a red ocean with it, some of the most successful SEO strategies he came up with, why course creators are an attractive acquisition for software companies, and lessons he learned during the acquisition. Exploding Topics is Brian’s newer project, and we get to hear how it evolved from an early personal trend spotting project to an acquihire that he subsequently grew. Brain talks about the work he has put into Exploding Topics, shares some numbers around its current success, and also talks about how he approached acquiring the business from Josh Howarth who is now his CTO. In this conversation, we also talk to Brian about life in Lisbon, hear about all the grunt work he did to get ahead, and also get some behind-the-scenes insights into his longstanding relationship with Eric and Neil. Tune in today!</span></p> <p><strong>TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>[00:25]</strong> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Today’s topic: Brian Dean on Selling to SEMrush, Evergreen SEO Strategies, Exploding Topics, and More.</span></li> <li><strong>[01:10]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">An introduction to Brian Dean and the story behind Backlinko and Exploding Topics.</span></li> <li><strong>[01:58]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Why Brian started Backlinko in 2013 at a time where SEO was already so competitive.</span></li> <li><strong>[04:46]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">What the Skyscraper Technique is and how it became so famous.</span></li> <li><strong>[06:18]</strong> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Classic pieces from the Backlinko blog: the Skyscraper Technique and more.</span></li> <li><strong>[07:10]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">How much traffic Brian was able to generate for Back