Beyond Rankings: Actionable SEO Reports Your Boss Will Love

September 15, 2011

Max Thomas - Thunder SEO

Client Universe:• Mostly Lead Generation – patient recruitment, corporate law firms, apartment communities, local service businesses

• Trackable Goals = Phone calls, form submits, whitepaper downloads

• Private companies with 10 – 1,000 employees

Copyright

© 1998 Ted Goff www.tedgoff.com

Reporting Tools

• Google Webmaster Tools• Google Analytics• OpenSiteExplorer – Inbound Links, Site Authority• HootSuite, Bit.ly, Social Media service stats• Marchex/VoiceStar – Dynamic Call Tracking

Individual Proprietors / Small Businesses

Enterprise / Corporate Clients

Digital DirectorDigital

Director

VPVPVPVP

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Marketing ManagerMarketing Manager

Web Manager

Web Manager

Product ManagerProduct Manager

Primary Client

Secondary Client

Rule of Thumb 1: Empower Your Primary Client

Rule of Thumb 2: Make it easy for them to convey

easily what’s happening

Hint: Don’t wait for them to tell you. Figure it out. Ask questions.

No SEO/SMM Mumbo Jumbo

Reports Should Demonstrate:

• What’s working• What’s not• Where to focus resources• Connection of SEO/SMM to sales (or conversions)• How to explain to key decision makers so they understand

And Sometimes…

Digital DirectorDigital

Director

VPVPVPVP

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Partner/ C-LevelPartner/ C-Level

Marketing ManagerMarketing Manager

Web Manager

Web Manager

Product ManagerProduct Manager

Caution: Don’t highlight their

LACK of digital knowledge.

Show Me The Money…

Goals Vs. Metrics

Goals

• Sales• Online conversions, sign-up’s, etc.• Phone calls if dynamic call tracking• Define them• Put a monetary value on them• Make this a priority before starting any campaign or client relationship

Define the goals clearly upfront.

• Trackable Goals• Channel / Campaign• Strategy• Execution• Results

Identify:

What to do when we can’t track a conversion…ugh!

What to do when we can’t track a conversion…ugh!

• Set at least one goal – e.g., Contact Us, Whitepaper Download, etc. Demonstrates whether search or social can generate leads.

• Use a “prospect metric”:• Non-branded search traffic• Non-branded search traffic to target service / market pages• Non-branded search traffic for target keyword groups

Metrics

• For example, branded vs. non-branded search, traffic by keyword groups, inbound links, conversion paths, highest converting landing pages, etc.• Track these monthly• Look for trends• Use as indicator of campaign effectiveness and/or re-assessment• Sometimes one of these may be a goal

Report Format – One Size Does NOT Fit All

Exec Summary (1-2 pages)KPI / Metrics (Appendix)

KISSKiss It Simple Stupid

Exec Summary (1-2 pages)

GOAL – STRATEGY – PROGRESS – DATA

1. What are our goals?

2. How are we achieving them?

3. Did we reach our goals?

4. Key Takeaways

5. Recommendations Going Forward (TBD)

Goal 1:Define Goal – Increase online requests (Check Availability form submit) from non-branded search visitors for “corporate housing in Chicago” keyword group.

Recommendations – On-page optimization to Chicago pages, including break-out of separate pages for Chicago properties. Launch Chicago corporate travel blog on client domain. Launch travel-blogger outreach campaign using infographic. Secure manual high-quality inbound links.

Current Status – Site changes have been completed. Blog has launched with 4 weeks of original content (2 posts per week). Infographic is completed and we’re in conversation with 20 medium-high authority travel bloggers. Have secured 5 high-quality inbound links with target of 2 per week.

Observation – Corporate resource links typically behind firewall so not as much opportunity there as hoped. Link building focus currently on road-warrior blogs and relocation companies. Consider Airbnb.com and VRBO.com for listings, links and traffic.

Goal 2…

Goal 3…

Example: 1. What are our goals? How are we achieving them?

Goal 1:Successes:Overall non-branded search conversions increased 10% (May – August)Non-branded Chicago search conversions increased 25% (May – August)Keep An Eye On:Chicago conversions decreased in July and rose again in August. Crawl rate and indexed content increased, along with Chicago-related visits. This dip might be seasonal. Consider conversion optimization test.

Goal 2:…

Example: 2. Did we reach out goals?

Goal 1: Conversions are upWe have completed the code changes and added the blog to the site to optimize for the search engines. This has already begun impacting our efforts by increasing the chances that searchers will visit our site for the information they need. This also allows Google to begin to read the content we want to be known for and assure searchers that we have the correct content.

Goal 2:….

Goal3:…

Example: 3. Key Takeaways

Tip: Use Straightforward Charts & Graphs

KPI / Metrics (Appendix)

• Branded vs. Non-Branded Keyword Organic Search Traffic (GA)

• Service or Market Related Organic Search Traffic (GA)

• Geographic (Region/City) Search Traffic (GA)

• Inbound Links (using OpenSiteExplorer; unique URLs and

unique domains)

• Change in # of Keywords and # of Landing Pages (GA)

• Change in Crawl Rate and Indexed Content (Webmaster Tools)

• Lost Links, 404 Errors, etc. (Webmaster Tools)

• Conversions by traffic source (GA)

• Phone Calls by traffic source (Voicestar/Marchex)

Tip: Listen to your clients.

Tip: Put yourself in their shoes.

“People won’t pay for what they don’t understand.”

Christie Calahan, CMO, WheresMyMedia (NY-based digital asset management platform for large agencies) and formerly with OMD

Additional Resources:

Avinash Kaushik

kaushik.net/avinash/

twitter.com/search/avinash

Conrad Saam

twitter.com/conradsaam

Vanessa Fox

twitter.com/vanessafox

Thank You!

Max Thomasmax@thunderseo.com

@thundermax

Facebook.com/thunderseo