S02E06: How to fund your marketplace without giving up equity

Learn how Sharetribe has been helping marketplace founders succeed for a decade. This bonus episode walks you through key moments in Sharetribe's history, from launching the world's first no-code marketplace builder, Sharetribe Go, to creating the developer platform Sharetribe Flex.On January 30th, we launched our best product yet: the new Sharetribe, a no-code marketplace builder you can extend infinitely with code. And scale to any size. We were featured as #2 Product of the day with over 900 votes. Thank you so much for your support! Give Sharetribe a spin: https://www.sharetribe.comCheck out Sharetribe on Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/sharetribe-2Read the post: https://www.sharetribe.com/balanced/introducing-the-new-sharetribe/

Backlinks are votes of confidence from other websites to your marketplace. This final article of our marketplace SEO series discusses how you can build quality backlinks for your marketplace.Article available at:Link building for marketplaces. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:Google’s John Mueller: Total Number of Backlinks Doesn’t Matter, Matt G. Southern, Search Engine JournalLessons from two decades in two-sided platforms with Casey Winters (Eventbrite), Two-sided: The marketplace podcastThumbtack Apologizes After Google Penalty; Asking For Link Removals From Businesses, Search Engine RoundtableHow to do local content marketing for marketplaces, Sjoerd Handgraaf, Marketplace AcademyHow to use PR to grow your online marketplace business, Eve Laird & Elle Tucker, Marketplace AcademyHow to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business, Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny’s newsletterHow to start a marketplace in an industry you know nothing about - Emmanuel Nataf (Reedsy), Two-sided: The marketplace podcastA Simple Guide to Turning (Unlinked) Brand Mentions into Links, Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogShoot Your Shot: A Guide to Effective Cold Outreach, Amanda Natividad, SparkToro BlogSpam policies for Google web search, Google Search CentralGoogle Analytics and the GDPR, CookiebotMira’s favorite SEO resources:Beginners’ Guide to SEO, MozProfessional’s Guide to SEO, MozSEO tutorial video series, Ahrefs Whiteboard Friday video series, MozSemrush BlogSearch Engine JournalSEO Insights, BlueArray BlueArray Academy, Blue Array Domain authority checkers:Ahrefs Website “Authority” CheckerMoz Free Domain Authority CheckerSemrush Backlink AnalyticsTools:HARO, Help A Reporter OutMozBar Chrome extensionCookiebotSEO experts to follow:Areej Abuali is the founder of the Women in Tech SEO community who writes about technical SEO and inclusivity in the SEO field.Kristina Azarenko tweets especially about technical SEO and has a great educational approach in her content.Gregory Edwards works as SEO Manager at BlueArray and runs SEO training at BrightonSEO, the UK's largest SEO conference.Carie Fisher tweets about a broad range of website accessibility topics and best practices.Rand Fishkin is a marketing thought leader who also discusses the challenges and shortcomings of SEO.Mike van der Heijden, CEO of the marketplace SEO agency Portal Ventures, frequently posts on LinkedIn about marketplaces and SEO.Kameron Jenkins’ tweets about SEO and content marketing leverage her extensive experience at Moz and Shopify.Amanda Jordan writes and gives talks about SEO from the perspective of a broader digital strategy.Himani Kankaria runs an SEO content marketing agency and is a sought-after speaker in SEO events.Chima Mmeje tweets about SEO content strategy and starting her own content consultancy company.Amanda Natividad writes insightfully about content marketing and audience research.Ross Simmonds’ threads about content marketing and growth inspire you to think about content as an asset you can keep leveraging.Aleyda Solis has worked with marketplaces like Eventbrite and Zillow. Her weekly #SEOFOMO newsletter shares the latest in the world of SEO and highlights SEO experts you should follow.The Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.You can learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

In the previous episode of this series, we learned about doing keyword research for a marketplace. Now it’s time to put those keywords to work.Article available at:Keyword-targeted content marketing for marketplaces. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:Keyword Cannibalization: What It (Really) Is & How to Fix It, Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogTopic Clusters for SEO: What They Are & How to Create Them, Rachel Handley, Semrush BlogGoogle is Rewriting Title Tags in SERPs, Matt G. Southern, Search Engine JournalAn update to how we generate web page titles, Google Search Central BlogWhat Are Title Tags? How To Write Them for SEO, Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogMeta Descriptions: How Do You Write Them?, Brian Harnish, Search Engine JournalGoogle Cautions Against Using Too Many Internal Links, Matt G. Southern, Search Engine JournalHow Airbnb Created An SEO Moat That Seems Invincible, Ross Simmonds, FoundationThe SEO Moat: Why SEO Can Be A Competitive Advantage, Ross Simmonds, Foundation63 Content Marketing Statistics for 2023, Mateusz Makosiewicz, Ahrefs BlogExperts and companies to follow:Ross SimmondsFoundationAnimalz BlogSparkToro BlogRand FishkinAmanda NatividadThe Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.You can learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

This episode helps you find your initial set of keywords and get started with a marketplace keyword strategy.Article available at:Keyword research for marketplaces. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:How to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business, Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny’s newsletterThe Advanced Guide to Keyword Clustering, Tom Casano, MozDomain Authority, SEO Learning Center, MozLong-tail Keywords: What They Are and How to Get Search Traffic From Them, Tim Soulo, Ahrefs BlogAlmost Half of GSC Clicks Go to Hidden Terms - A Study by Ahrefs, Patrick Stox, Ahrefs BlogExperts to follow:Chima Mmeje is a founder at Zenithcopy, a Senior Content Marketing Manager at Moz and works as a content marketer for SaaS companies.Ross Simmonds is an entrepreneur and marketing strategist who helps B2B and SaaS brands use content marketing, SEO, content distribution, and technology to grow.SEO tools mentioned:Google Search ConsoleGoogle AnalyticsAnswer The PublicGoogle Keyword PlannerThe Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.You can learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

This episode introduces the basics of technical SEO and suggests ways to tackle common technical marketplace SEO issues.Article available at:Technical SEO for marketplaces. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:Technical SEO, The Beginner's Guide to SEO, MozSEO Learning Center, MozTechnical SEO, Ahrefs BlogTechnical SEO, Semrush BlogWhat Are Title Tags? How To Write Them for SEO, Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogHow to Create an XML Sitemap (and Submit It to Google), Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogCanonical Tags: A Simple Guide for Beginners, Joshua Hardwick, Ahrefs blogGoogle Explains How to Use Headings for SEO, Roger Montti, Search Engine JournalGoogle Search Central documentation, Google Search Central50% of web traffic comes from mobile, Think with GoogleHow & Why Accessibility Matters for SEO, Ruth Everett, Search Engine JournalFaceted Navigation: Best Practices for SEO, Natalie Hoben, Search Engine JournalGoogle: Self-Referencing Canonicals Are Not Critical, Matt G. Southern, Search Engine JournalWhen To Use Rel Canonical Or Noindex …Or Both, Roger Montti, Search Engine Journal9 Breadcrumb Tips to Make Your Site Easier to Navigate, Caroline Forsey, Hubspot BlogAdvanced Technical SEO: A Complete Guide, Search Engine JournalWebsites and organizations to follow:The a11y ProjectSchema.orgExperts to follow:Himani Kankaria is the founder of Missive Digital, a company that offers content-driven organic marketing services for B2B, SaaS and IT companies.Carie Fisher is an accessibility and UI expert and consultant, and founder of A11yTalks.SEO tools mentioned:Google Search ConsoleBing Webmaster Tools Core Web Vitals reportThe Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.You can learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

How to avoid common marketplace SEO pitfalls – and tap into the unique opportunities.Article available at:Opportunities and challenges of marketplace SEO. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:What Crawl Budget Means for Googlebot, Google Search CentralSpam policies for Google web search, Google Search CentralDuplicate content: Causes and solutions, Joost de Valk, YoastHow to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business, Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny’s newsletterHow to find the best marketplace growth strategies, Juho Makkonen, Marketplace Academy How to turn your marketplace into a community, Cristóbal Gracia, Marketplace Academy Lessons from two decades in two-sided platforms with Casey Winters (Eventbrite), Two-sided: The marketplace podcastSEO experts to follow:Amanda Jordan is a digital strategy director who helps companies nail their SEO strategy.The Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.Learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

This series gives you a comprehensive introduction to SEO, tailored specifically to online marketplaces. The first episode looks at what investing in marketplace SEO entails, how to estimate the potential returns, and when is the right time to take the plunge.Article available at:Marketplace SEO: The complete guide. Mira Muurinen, Marketplace Academy Sources and further reading:How results are automatically generated, Google SearchHere’s What We Learned About Organic Click Through Rate, Brian Dean, BacklinkoHow to find the best marketplace growth strategies, Juho Makkonen, Marketplace Academy How to build your marketplace supply, Juho Makkonen, Marketplace Academy How to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business, Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny’s newsletterSparkToro Blog, SparkToroBeginners’ Guide to SEO, MozWhiteboard Friday video series, MozSEO tutorial video series, Ahrefs Semrush Blog, SemrushSearch Engine JournalSEO experts to follow:Aleyda Solis has worked with marketplaces like Eventbrite and Zillow. Her weekly #SEOFOMO newsletter shares the latest in the world of SEO and highlights SEO experts you should follow.Kristina Azarenko tweets especially about technical SEO and has a great educational approach in her content.Areej Abuali is the founder of the Women in Tech SEO community and writes about technical SEO and inclusivity in the SEO field.A list of SEO tools to consider:Google Search Console helps you measure your site's search traffic and performance.Google Analytics is a free tool to track and report website traffic.Screaming Frog is an advanced SEO audit tool.Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMRush are the leading SEO SaaS platforms. Google’s Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the quality of web pages.The Marketplace Academy Podcast is hosted and narrated by Katri Antikainen.You can learn more about building a marketplace at www.sharetribe.com/academy/.Looking to build a marketplace of your own? Visit www.sharetribe.com to learn more about our marketplace builder!

For our final SEO expert interview, Sharetribe’s Head of Content Mira spoke with Gregory Edwards, Senior SEO Manager at BlueArray, a UK-based SEO agency and consultancy. They discuss what Gregory has learned running SEO for some of the biggest marketplaces in the UK.Gregory shares fantastic advice and tips on tackling the technical challenges of marketplace SEO and how to nail your content marketing efforts in a way that’s pleasing for both your audience and search engines.Episode transcript: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/clear-user-journeys-help-seo/The complete guide to marketplace SEO: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/ Subscribe to Marketplace Academy: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/#subscribe Start your own marketplace at: https://www.sharetribe.com/  BlueArray: https://www.bluearray.co.uk/BlueArray Academy: https://www.bluearrayacademy.com/ Follow Gregory on Twitter: @GregoryE_seo

Sharetribe’s Head of Content Mira and marketplace founder Michael Caldwell discuss what sets marketplaces apart from other websites in terms of SEO. In the late 1990s, Michael founded GigMasters (now The Bash), a platform for musicians to find paying gigs, and is currently the founder and CEO at Petworks, a marketplace for pet-related services. Michael shares what he has learned from his decades-long experience with both marketplaces and optimizing them for search engines and why it’s important to bake SEO into your marketplace from the start.Episode transcript: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/weave-seo-into-marketplace/The complete guide to marketplace SEO: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/ Subscribe to Marketplace Academy: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/#subscribe Start your own marketplace at: https://www.sharetribe.com/  Petworks: https://www.petworks.com/ 

In this episode of the Marketplace Academy Podcast, Sharetribe’s Head of Content Mira interviews Mike van der Heijden, founder of Portal Ventures. They talk about the challenges and opportunities of marketplace SEO. Portal Ventures is an SEO agency that specializes in marketplaces. They’ve worked with marketplaces like Flippa, Fresha, and Luxury Escapes and invest in marketplaces through Portal Ventures Capital.Episode transcript: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/seo-bottom-line/The complete guide to marketplace SEO: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/marketplace-seo/ Subscribe to Marketplace Academy: https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/#subscribe Start your own marketplace at: https://www.sharetribe.com/  Portal Ventures: https://portal.ventures/SEO tools mentioned in the episode:SemrushScreaming FrogKeyword CupidSurfer SEO