SearchLove London 2016 | Marcus Tober | Why User-Focused Content is the Death of Ranking Factors

Marcus Tober

London, England

17th October, 2016

WHY USER-FOCUSED CONTENT IS THE DEATH OF RANKING FACTORS

• Founder and CTO of Searchmetrics

Marcus Tober

• In love with SEO and SEARCH since 2001

• Study of computer science in Berlin

3

THE FUTURE ISDATA (SCIENCE)

DRIVEN

4

IN TWENTY YEARS, THERE WILL BE NO VEHICLES DRIVEN BY HUMANS ANYMORE.

STATIC FLEXIBLE ADAPTABLE?

THE EVOLUTION OF RANKING FACTORS

In the past In the present In the future

Be Formless.

Shapeless.

Like water.

When you put water into a…

Cup,It becomesthe cup

Bottle,It becomesthe bottle

Teapot,It becomesthe teapot

Water can flow. Or it can crash.

Be water, my friend.

Updates/Algorithm ChangesMachine Learning/Rankbrain

Rankings

Search is flexible now

Ranking FactorsRelevance Evaluation

ALGORITHM

Users

integratedintegrated

Real-timeEvaluation

Real-timeEvaluation

The Ranking Factors are not rigid anymore, they

adapt to the SEARCH INTENTION.

Just like water that changes it shape when you put it

into a cup, bottle or teapot;

Ranking Factors can and must be

shaped into a specific industry/ user intention.

However:

There are still factors that

every industry should follow

in order to have success.

H2O

The Ranking Factors are not

rigid anymore, they are

formless, shapeless and

they adapt to the object.

Geoffrey Hinton a.k.a.

“The Godfather of

Deep Learning”Leading Researcher, Google

Legend in Neural Network Research. World renowned A.I. researcher.

Invented some of the core algorithms of Deep Learning back in the 80s

Working with Google since 2011

New novel concept:

Thought Vectors

Geoffrey Hinton

Capturing thoughts…

IMAGINE EMPTY SPACE

Every word gets a position in space

Cologne

Hamburg

Berlin

Munich

Visualizing RankBrain

Query sentences get a position in space.

What’s the weather going to be like in Bavaria?

Weather Forecast Bavaria

Visualizing RankBrain

Queries and results get a position in space

Q

Result Scoring

R

R

Visualizing RankBrain

Machine Learning

(ML) ≠ AI

AlgorithmDesire

• Answer to questions

• Best User Experience

• Smooth User Journey

• Crawlability

• Technical requirements

• Evaluation of Relevance

Online-ContentRelevance for Human AND Machine

“Knowing is not enough,

we must apply.

Willing is not enough,

we must do!”

Bruce Lee

1.

You are aware you need to create good content, but being

aware is not enough. You have to take action.

2.

And even if you really want to be successful but you don’t apply

the most effort you can, you won’t be successful.

3.

Without a clear knowledge of what to do, action is based on

guesswork. Use the best information/source you can get.

1.

ACTION

2.

EFFORT

3.

DATA

BE CREATIVE AND ADD WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY YOUR OWN.

But I still haven‘t found what I‘m looking for!

Health E- Commerce Finance

Travel Media

Different Industries, Different Ranking Factors

WHY?

Because each Industry has to deal with different

Search Intentions.

Spender Backpacker Intellectual

User Intention

With the evolution of machine-learning approaches,

like RankBrain, coupled with the importance of

content relevance, old-fashioned SEO tactics have

died a sudden death – and traditional ranking

factors are following suit.

Today´s challenge for every digital marketer it is to

uncover specific user intent.

Backlinks

In times of self-evolving Machine Learning/Deep Learning algorithms,

backlinks just become one out of many many other factors

Spender

Wants best product.

A spender is not worried about money.

His user intention is to find the best

product no matter what the price is.

luxury rolex watch

Wants cheapest offer.

A backpacker needs to save every penny,

but at the same time he wants to visit

the coolest possible locations.

Backpacker

cheapest bus ticket

Wants valid information.

An intellectual person is hoping to find

the most relevant and valid information

on the web.

Intellectual

Plato´s allegory of the cave

Search Query & ExpectationsExample: „costume ideas“

???

http://www.today.com/style/61-awesome-

halloween-costume-ideas-its-not-too-late-

steal-t2741

Rank #1

60+ part image gallery

Short description

Links to relevant pages

High Social Engagement

User Intention = Inspiration!

✓

✓

✓

✓

Search Query & ExpectationsExample: „costume ideas“

https://www.savers.com/halloween/costumes/allRank #16

14 costume suggestions

No product texts

General footer text

User Intention ≠ Shopping!

✗

✗

✗

Search Query & ExpectationsExample: „costume ideas“

Introducing NEW RANKING FACTORS 2016 –SEARCHMETRICS

coming in November…

Google.com

*NEW RANKING FACTORS 201610x more complex

Industry

Topic/Search Intention

Topic A

Topic B

Topic C

Topic D

Topic E

Health Finance eCommerce Media Etc.

You?

Generally, well ranking pages have longer texts.

So there is a correlation…

BUT

For some searches, results with shorter text

are the best result for the user experiece.

What does that mean for Ranking Factors?

Content need to be differentdepending on User Intention

500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Desktop 2015

Ø Top10 2016: 1,633 2015 : 1,285

𝜌 2015 = 0.07

𝜌 2016 = 0.05

+21%

Word Count

Google.com

If someone searches for: best short hairstyles

What they probably want to see is less text are more images

or image galleries

If someone searches for: Plato´s allegory of the cave

What they probably want to see is valid and structured info

and more text

If someone searches for: x-box unboxing

What they probably want to see is a video and no text

Different IndustriesDifferent Ranking Factors Google.com

Health E- Commerce Finance

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Finance

Word Count

Google.com

T10 Ø: 1575 Correlation: 0.09

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

eCommerce Health Finance

Word Count

Google.com

T10 Ø: 3069 2826 1575 Correlation: 0.13 0.15 0.09

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

eCommerce Health Finance Desktop 2016

Word Count

Google.com

T10 Ø: 3069 2826 1575 1633Correlation: 0.13 0.15 0.09 0.05

Ø

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

eCommerce Health

Keyword in Title

Google.com

T10 Ø: 33% 35% Correlation: -0.04 -0.05

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

eCommerce Health Finance

Keyword in Title

Google.com

T10 Ø: 33% 35% 10% Correlation: -0.04 -0.05 0.04

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

eCommerce Health Finance Desktop 2016

Keyword in Title

Google.com

T10 Ø: 33% 35% 10% 54% Correlation: -0.04 -0.05 0.04 -0.04

Ø

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

eCommerce

Referring Domains

Google.com

T10 Ø: 272736Correlation: 0.20

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

eCommerce Health

Referring Domains

Google.com

T10 Ø: 272736 99526 Correlation: 0.20 0.02

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

eCommerce Health Finance

Referring Domains

Google.com

T10 Ø: 272736 99526 38728 Correlation: 0.20 0.21 -0.02

SO…

SEO tactics have died and Traditional Ranking Factors are fading away

However…

Traditional Ranking Factors

Why SEO is not dead

Startpoint of Purchases

Source: Forrester/ Internet Retailer B2B Buying And Selling Online Survey 2014

92% of Business Purchases

start with Search

81% of Shoppers Research Online before buying

Source: Adweek/ +GE Capital Retail Bank’s Major Purchase Shopper Study 2015

B2B B2C

Good site architecture

Relevant link structure

Basic tag usage and structure

Page Load Time

Basic technics features are still important

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Mobile 2016

Ø Top10 Desktop: 126

Ø Top10 Mobile : 71

Interal Link Count

Google.com

6

7

8

9

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Mobile 2016

Ø Top10 Desktop: 7.84 sec

Ø Top10 Mobile : 6.98 sec

Page load timeSeconds Google.com

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Mobile 2016

Ø Top10 Desktop: 85%

Ø Top10 Mobile : 75%

Page has H1

Google.com

HOW TO STAY RELEVANT?

The user needs to feel happy with the result.

User Experience

But businesses often fail in providing the right content

for the respective user intention

?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016

Click-Through Rate

Google.com

𝜌 = 0.46

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016

Time on SiteSeconds

𝜌 = 0.11

Structured Content.

• Paragraphs

• Numbered Lists

• Bullet Points

• Readable

• Consumeable

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Desktop 2015

Ø Top10 2016: 50%2015 : 43%

+7%

Page has Bullet Point List

Google.com

Feel safe, use HTTPS.

Whether you're booking tickets,

buying clothes or purchasing items

from an auction site, shop safely and

securely online using HTTPS.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016 Desktop 2015

Ø Top10 2016: 45%2015 : 14%+31%

HTTPS

Google.com

𝜌 = 0.19

There are still factors that every industry should follow in order to

have success. And these are specific for each industry.

But today that is not enough. Thanks to new algorithms, combined

with machine learning and its capacity to analyze websites,

content became a key for success.

The quality, relevance and uniqueness of your content is

understood and judged by Google, who in case of finding it

relevant will benefit you with better results.

Content Structure

Content-Relevancecan be analyzed by structure

AND

It actually has the

highest impact on rankings

Landing Page

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Image

Image

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKEYWORDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

search query

Relevance of content without keywords to search query

Remove keywords from text

search query = keyword

Content RelevanceNEW Factor 2016 Google.com

0,10

0,11

0,12

0,13

0,14

0,15

0,16

0,17

0,18

0,19

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Desktop 2016

Content RelevanceNEW Factor 2016 Google.com

𝜌𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑘𝑡𝑜𝑝 = 0.04

security camera systems

10 out of top 10

e-commerce websites for this

keyword have an

„add to cart“ function

above the fold

Keyword: “security camera systems”

E-COMM Introducing Relevance

security systemssecurity camera systems

10x Shopping Cart

Keyword: “security camera systems”

E-COMM

3x Shopping Cart

+

Google Shopping Integration

4x Vendor

3x Information

(Blog, Reviews etc.)

+

Google News Integration

Transactional Informational

Introducing Relevance

Topic ExplorerTOPIC:„security system“

Topic Explorer

„security system“YELLOW

„[…]camera system“BLUE

TOPIC:„security system“

Search Intention

Related QuestionsTOPIC:„security system“

Relevant Terms and PhrasesTOPIC:„security system“

Content Live EditorTOPIC:„security system“

Searchmetrics Content Experience Suite

1.

2.

3.

“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless,

and add what is specific your own”

Bruce Lee

Quality, Relevance and Uniqueness of Content

Be water, my friend.