Practical SEO Strategies – Getting

Results Across Multiple Countries

Nick Wilsdon

Lead SEO, Vodafone Group

22 Country Markets

40 Partner Markets

$43.2 billion Revenue Per Year

446 million mobile customers

93,000 employees

Source: Vodafone Annual Report 2015

Team Focused on Performance

Architects

SEO

Analytics

Project Managemen

t

Lessons Learned Over 12 months

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Get Organised

Low-Tech Solutions Work

Use Tools and Alerts

http://nickwilsdon.com/how-to-set-up-email-sms-alerts-on-robots-txt-changes/

• Set up alerts to keep informed

• Internal communications

• Free tools, such as IFTTT

• Platform alerts from vendors

The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right

• Checklists are a solution to the fallibility of our memory in complex situations

• Checklists are practical tools

• Installs discipline of high performance and aid training

• WHO “Safe Surgery Checklist” reduced complications for surgical patients by 36%, deaths by 47%

Understand the importance of business cases

Data and Forcasting is Essential

Checklists are a solution to the fallibility of our memory in complex

situations

Checklists are practical tools

Installs discipline of high performance and aid training

WHO “Safe Surgery Checklist” reduced complications for surgical patients by

36%, deaths by 47%

There is no business case without data

The Essential of a Good Business Case

• Backed up with data

• Measurable

• Clear timelines

• Material difference to business

• Aligned with common objectives – other teams and C-suite

Business Cases Can Start Simply

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Reach out to other teams

Integration is Everything

• Search out relevant teams

• Listen and share knowledge

• Understand their objectives

• Data is currency

Google Trends Data Easily Available

Seasonal Keyword Heatmaps

http://nickwilsdon.com/how-to-make-seasonal-keyword-heatmaps/

Mobile Becoming Primary Internet Access Point

Source: Google https://www.consumerbarometer.com

Austria

Belgium

Bulgari

a

Croatia

Czech

Rep

ublic

Denmark

Estonia

Finlan

d

France

German

y

Greece

Hunga

ry

Irelan

dIta

lyLa

tvia

Lithu

ania

Netherl

ands

Norway

Poland

Portug

al

Roman

ia

Russia

Serbia

Slovak

ia

Sloven

iaSpa

in

Sweden

Switzerl

and

Ukraine

United

King

dom

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

More often via smartphone than computer / tablet Equally via smartphone & computer / tablet

Mobile Only Access Now Reality

Australia

Czech

Rep

ublic

German

y

Greec

e

Hunga

ryIndia

Irelan

dIta

ly

Kenya

Nether

lands

New Z

ealan

d

Portuga

l

Roman

ia

South A

frica

Spain

Turke

y UK

7%1%

6% 4% 6%

34%

3%6%

38%

1%

8%

1%4%

55%

6%

17%

6%

Only Access Internet On Mobile

Source: Google https://www.consumerbarometer.com

Support your local champions to get action

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.

• Understand local team objectives

• Celebrate their successes

• SEO advocacy is essential

• Training

• Build community

• Central sharing

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It’s easier to cycle strategy into markets

Don’t Boil The Ocean

Global Team

Market 1 Market 2

1. Prove strategy within one market

2. Lean on their local objectives (technical, mobile SEO, ROPO, content…)

3. Celebrate their success

4. Rework business case

5. Deliver into next markets

Build Partners Not Vendors

The Right Tools for the Job

• Pick your tools carefully

• Organised work-flow

• Training and certification

• Look for innovative partners

Think strategically both short and long term

The Greatest Challenge to Enterprise SEO

• Progress is difficult

• Enterprise requires lead-time for most programs streams

• Planning ahead allows budgets to be set

• Innovation feeds into SEO advocacy – excites teams

Mobile Web vs. App – Whole New Level of Integration

“Sometimes the best answer is on a website, and sometimes it’s in an app.” – Google

App indexing is not new, introduced in 2013 but it can now be used to index content on apps that are not installed on the user’s device

When users click an app result, they will be prompted to open the application or download it.

Available in Bing (MS Store) and with iOS apps

How will we do this? Mobile App Sitemapshttps://developers.google.com/app-indexing/introduction

Designing Better User Journeys

Mobile Search

Experience

Vodafone App

Experience

Combined Mobile Search & App

Experience

Network

Coverage

Billing & Top

up

Device Suppor

t

Personalised FAQs

@nickwilsdon

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nickwilsdon

https://plus.google.com/+NickWilsdon/

Thank You