Dan & Katya's Origin Stories

Dan & Katya's Origin Stories

Why Listen to Us? Meet the Faces Behind Digital Plumbing Ever wonder why we feel qualified to talk about marketing data, SEO, and "digital plumbing"? In this episode, Katya and Dan take a break from the technical deep dives to share their career backstories. From flunking out of engineering to coordinate TEDx talks and attending auctioneering school, our paths are anything but linear—and that’s exactly why our approach to marketing technology works. In this video, you’ll learn: * Dan’s Journey: How a background in fine arts and graphic design evolved into managing servers for 85+ clients and leading Marketing Technology at KOA. * Katya’s Story: The transition from a traditional marketing degree to the world of TEDx storytelling, business development, and becoming a professional auctioneer. * Why Experience Matters: Why "knowing what you don't know" is the most important part of managing digital ecosystems. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:43 Career Journeys and Experiences 11:23 Collaboration and Creative Processes 12:36 About our Podcast Who Is This For? * Marketing Professionals who want to see the "human side" of the industry. * Career Switchers looking for inspiration on how non-linear paths lead to tech success. * Business Owners curious about the expertise required to manage modern marketing stacks (GA4, GTM, and AI). Resources Mentioned: * Katya’s Website: katyachristine.com [http://katyachristine.com] * Tempest Marketing Agency: tempesttech.com [http://tempesttech.com] * Western College of Auctioneering: auctionschools.com [http://auctionschools.com] #DigitalMarketing #CareerPaths #SEO #MarketingStrategy #DigitalPlumbing #GA4 #Storytelling

Ep 5: Google Analytics 4 Tips & Tricks

GA4 is free, powerful, and most businesses are barely scratching the surface of what’s possible. Here’s where to start. GA4 has been around for years now (crazy how time flies!!), but most businesses are missing the real power of the tool… that’s if they’ve even set it up correctly in the first place. In this episode, Dan and Katya break down Google Analytics 4 from the ground up: what it is, how to install it, the settings most people miss that can seriously mess with your data, and where the real power of GA4 lives (hint: it’s in the custom explorations, and yes, it’s worth the learning curve). Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction to Digital Plumbing 00:55 – Taylor Swift’s Marketing Genius 02:31 – Exploring Google Analytics 4 03:42 – Understanding User Behavior Tracking 05:05 – Transitioning from Universal Analytics to GA4 07:10 – Setting Up GA4 with Google Tag Manager 08:32 – Multiple Streams and Cross-Domain Tracking 09:51 – Importance of Data-Driven Decisions 11:17 – Configuring GA4 for Optimal Use 12:52 – Enhanced Measurements and Form Tracking 14:34 – User Access and Permissions in GA4 15:41 – Filtering Internal Traffic 17:12 – Navigating GA4 Reports 18:13 – Key Metrics and Reporting 20:09 – Understanding Direct Traffic Challenges 21:03 – Real-Time Reporting and Debugging 23:12 – Custom Explorations in GA4 24:42 – Custom Explorations 26:04 – Custom Audiences and Remarketing Strategies 28:38 – Advanced Customization in GA4 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: * Data Retention 101: Why GA4’s default two-month setting is quietly sabotaging your year-over-year reporting — and the one admin change to fix it. * The Form Tracking Trap: Why GA4’s built-in form submission tracking isn’t as accurate as it looks, and how to do it right. * The Metrics That Matter: Why Katya will die on the hill of average session duration, and what it actually tells you about your content. * Custom Explorations: How to build reports from scratch that show you exactly what’s moving the needle. * Audiences & Remarketing: How to segment your site visitors into custom buckets and use that data for smarter ad targeting. WHO IS THIS VIDEO FOR? * Business Owners & Non-Profit Leaders: Learn how to stop guessing and start making decisions based on real user data. * Digital Marketers: Master the new GA4 platform tools and optimize your attribution. HELPFUL RESOURCES & LINKS * Google Analytics Official Site: https://analytics.google.com [https://analytics.google.com] * Step-by-Step Guide for Setting Up a GA4 property: https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-set-up-google-analytics/ [https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-set-up-google-analytics/] * GA4 Audiences: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12799087?hl=en [https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12799087?hl=en] * GA4 Custom Dimensions: https://www.analyticsmania.com/post/a-guide-to-custom-dimensions-in-google-analytics-4/ [https://www.analyticsmania.com/post/a-guide-to-custom-dimensions-in-google-analytics-4/]

Ep4: AI Context Engineering

In this episode of Digital Plumbing, Dan and Katya break down how to stop generating "AI slop" and start producing high-quality content. They shift the focus from simple prompt engineering to context engineering, explaining why your personal anecdotes and brand voice are the only things that will keep your content relevant in an increasingly homogenized digital world. About This Episode Are you worried that AI content sounds robotic, generic, or just plain "off"? You’re not alone. As AI-generated content floods the web, the "middle ground" of generic writing is disappearing. This episode is a deep dive into the art of Context Engineering—the process of feeding Large Language Models (LLMs) the specific, human intelligence they need to be a true creative partner rather than just a "trained parrot." Chapters: 00:00 - AI's Impact on Content Creation 08:28 - Navigating AI in the Workplace 12:36 - Best Practices for AI Prompting 25:28 - Iterating and Refining AI Content 30:45 - Outro What You’ll Learn: * Prompt vs. Context Engineering: Why the "persona" method is fading and why deep context is the new gold standard. * The Trust Factor: How to navigate the red flags of AI content (and why Dan hates the word "whether" while Katya hunts down excessive em dashes). * The "Human Injection" Point: Where AI falls apart (personal experience) and how to fill those holes to stay authoritative in Google’s eyes. * The Interview Method: A powerful strategy for training an LLM on a new brand voice using one-on-one "interviews." * Practical Guardrails: What you should never feed into a free LLM and how to iterate until you hit 90% accuracy. Who This Is For: * Content Creators & Marketers looking to scale production without losing their unique voice. * Business Owners feeling the pressure to adopt AI but worried about brand reputation. * The "AI-Curious" who want to move beyond vague prompts and get professional-grade results. * Web Developers interested in the intersection of LLMs, technical SEO, and content. Episode Links & Resources: * How LLMs Work (The Math Side): https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.youtube.com/results%3Fsearch_query%3Dhow%2Bllms%2Bwork%2Bmathematicallyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjZofJX0v4M [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjZofJX0v4M] * Google’s Guidance on AI Content: Google Search's guidance about AI-generated content [https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/02/google-search-and-ai-content]. #DigitalPlumbing #ContentMarketing #AI #PromptEngineering #ContextEngineering #SEO #ChatGPT #GoogleGemini #ClaudeAI #DigitalStrategy #ContentCreation

Ep3: Conversion Tracking with GTM and GA4

At the heart of this episode, we discussed Conversion Tracking. A conversion is a tracked, measurable event that indicates if a website visitor has moved from browsing an interest to actual intent with your business, bringing them one step closer to actually doing business with you." In this episode, we break down the difference between a conversion and just... a click. We dig into why conversion tracking is the foundation of every smart digital marketing decision, how Google Tag Manager (GTM) makes it accessible (even for non-developers), and why without it you're basically just guessing. Topics Covered: • What is a conversion (and what isn't) • GA4 events vs. conversions • Google Tag Manager basics • GTM version control and access management • Why conversion tracking is non-negotiable for paid ads ——— 🕐 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Understanding Conversion Tracking 02:14 - Defining Conversion Events 05:04 - The Role of GA4 in Conversion Tracking 07:55 - Utilizing Google Tag Manager (GTM) 13:47 - Benefits of GTM for Tracking 19:30 - Security and Testing in GTM 23:21 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts ——— Episode Links: 🔗 Read the Full Article: https://digital-plumbing.com/article/guide-to-conversion-tracking-with-google-tag-manager-and-google-analytics-4/ [https://digital-plumbing.com/article/guide-to-conversion-tracking-with-google-tag-manager-and-google-analytics-4/] • Set up a Google Tag Manager Account: https://tagmanager.google.com [https://tagmanager.google.com] • Set up your free GA4 (Google Analytics) account: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/ [https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/] #digitalmarketing #ConversionTracking #GoogleTagManager #GTM #GA4 #WebAnalytics #DataDriven #MarketingTips #SmallBusinessGrowth #DigitalPlumbing

Ep2: I have a Website, Now What?

Why does a beautiful website sometimes fail to show up in search results? In this episode of the Digital Plumbing Podcast, Dan and Katya pull back the curtain on the "nitty-gritty" technical SEO elements that move the needle in 2026. From the origin story of the term "Digital Plumbing" to why your LLM (Large Language Model) might be ignoring your best content, we break down the actionable steps you can take today to improve your visibility. In this episode, you’ll learn: * The Big Three: Why Meta Titles, Descriptions, and H1s are still the foundation of relevance. * The "Digital Plumbing Origin Story": How a client conversation turned into the "Digital Plumbing" movement. * LLM Optimization: How AI crawlers read your site differently than humans (and why JavaScript might be hiding your best answers). * The Mobile Element: Why "pinching and zooming" is a death sentence for your user experience. * The Bing Comeback: Why Bing Webmaster Tools is essential for AI search visibility. Chapters:  00:00 On-Site Technical SEO 03:18 Origin Story of Digital Plumbing 05:20 More On-Site Technical SEO 09:25 How LLMs See Your Site 11:05 Internal and External Linking 11:50 Sitemap and robots.txt 12:26 Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools 14:29 GTM and GA4 14:45 Mobile First Design 17:49 Don't Set it and Forget it 19:28 AI's Impact on the World 20:27 Summary Resources Mentioned: * Google Search Console * Bing Webmaster Tools * Google Tag Manager (Stay tuned for next week!) Learn More about the best on-site SEO checklist: 🔗 Read the Full Article: https://digital-plumbing.com/article/what-is-the-role-of-a-website-in-the-age-of-ai/https://digital-plumbing.com/article/the-proven-on-site-seo-checklist-to-boost-your-website-rankings-in-2026/ [https://digital-plumbing.com/article/the-proven-on-site-seo-checklist-to-boost-your-website-rankings-in-2026/] 🔗 Episode page: https://digital-plumbing.com/episode/ep-2-i-have-a-website-now-what/ [https://digital-plumbing.com/episode/ep-2-i-have-a-website-now-what/] #SEO2026 #DigitalPlumbing #TechnicalSEO #AIsearch #WebDevelopment #DigitalMarketing