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Housekeeping NotesH I L E - L I G H T S P R E S E N T S

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Housekeeping NotesH I L E - L I G H T S P R E S E N T S

Control panel:

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IntroductionsH I L E - L I G H T S P R E S E N T S

Caitlin BakerDigital Marketing Associate

@caitlinbb

Michelle LawSenior Demand Generation Analyst

@MrktingMichelle

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AgendaH I L E - L I G H T S P R E S E N T S

• IS SEO DEAD?

• RANKPOCALYPSE: THE END OF KEYWORD RANKINGS

• HOW TO ADDRESS PUSHBACK

• KEY TAKEAWAYS

• FINAL QUESTIONS

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What Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?I S S E O D E A D ?

The practice of increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to your website from organic search

results.

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Where Is SEO Now?I S S E O D E A D ?

There are two truths in SEO:

1. Ranking in search results will always be important.

2. Signals (factors used in search engine ranking) will

always be changing.

Bottom line: We have to shift away from both traditional tactics and metrics.

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RANKPOCALYPSE

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The End of Keyword RankingsR A N K P O C A LY P S E

We’re living in a Rankpocalypse! This means the end of an era for using keyword rankings as key success

metrics, shown by these significant indicators:

Search engines are using more signals than ever to determine results.

We search the way we talk.

Search results are becoming more and more personalized.

93% of Google results are not 10 blue links.

Websites can rank in the #1 position and still not get any relevant traffic.

Keyword rankings aren’t accurately recorded in tracking tools.

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Search Engines Are Using More Signals Than Ever to Determine ResultsR A N K P O C A LY P S E

Keywords Links Intent/ContentNew SERP Elements

ROI

The evolution of search engine algorithms are all based upon

providing a better experience for searchers.

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We Search the Way We TalkR A N K P O C A LY P S E

The way we used to search: digital+marketing+Cleveland

How we search now: marketing automation agency near me

Source: Ahrefs long-tail keyword study

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Search Results Are Becoming More and More PersonalizedR A N K P O C A LY P S E

A search engine results page (SERP)

can look different from one person to

another for many reasons, including:

• The type of device used for the

search (desktop, laptop, phone,

tablet)

• Your personal search

history/previous

searches/previously clicked links

• Whether you are logged into a

Google account while searching

• Your geographic location

• What type of browser you are using

• The number of ads on the page

• The type of search you are doing

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93% of Google Results Aren’t 10 Blue Links R A N K P O C A LY P S E

Google alone has 16 different types of SERP features. And, what about the other 36% of searches on a

major website property that aren’t traditional Google searches?

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Websites Can Rank #1 and Still Not Get Any TrafficR A N K P O C A LY P S E

Search engines are “borrowing” content from websites to provide information to searches on the SERP,

often “stealing” traffic from these websites.

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Keyword Rankings Aren’t Accurately Recorded in Tracking ToolsR A N K P O C A LY P S E

All these factors combined make it extremely difficult to accurately record keyword rankings.

That is why we are here today. To challenge you.

To help you think outside the norm.

Because…

SEO isn’t dead, but keyword rankings are dying.

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HOW TO ADDRESS

PUSHBACK

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6 Concerns and Ways to Combat ThemH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Even in our ever-changing industry, change is still difficult. You are going to experience

pushback from people around you. Here are common objections you will face:

1. We can‘t measure how much profit is coming from organic search. Is it even working?

2. We aren’t seeing any results after three months of work, but our paid search campaigns

drove positive ROI. Should we stop SEO and focus on PPC?

3. I only care about ranking for “marketing”.

4. How will I know what organic searches are driving traffic to my site if we aren’t

measuring keyword rankings?

5. Is one link on a third-party site really going to make a difference to my organic

performance?

6. I am showing up on page one of Google, but I am not seeing any new/additional traffic.

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“New” SEO TacticsH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

To combat these objections, consider the following actionable SEO tactics to shift the focus from keyword

rankings to results.

Measure organic KPIs alongside organic traffic.

Measure the trajectory vs. immediate impact.

Focus on keyword topics vs. static keywords. Always consider intent when creating new content.

Look at search analytics in place of keyword rankings.

Think beyond the norm and expand past Google and “link-building”.

Stand out from the competition by using new SERP features and signals in your favor.

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Measure Organic KPIs Alongside Organic TrafficH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Keyword rankings don’t always translate into organic traffic. Organic traffic doesn’t always translate into ROI.

This is why we need to measure these indicators alongside organic key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Depending on the primary goal of each website, KPIs can vary widely:

• Engagement – relevancy metrics, video engagement, PDF downloads, etc.

• Leads – track form fills

• Phone calls – call tracking

• Online purchases – ecommerce tracking

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Measure the Trajectory vs. Immediate ImpactH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

SEO takes time. It is not the same quick-win tactic as paid search. However, the results can pay off big-time

when the investment is made.

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500

1,000

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2,000

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3,500

Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016 Q1 2017 Q2 2017 Q3 2017

Organic Traffic

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Focus on Topics Instead of Static KeywordsH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Write content that solves for both the searcher and the search engine. Do this by designing your site to

incorporate content pillars and topic clusters.

Source: Hubspot

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Look at Search Analytics in Place of Keyword RankingsH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Google Analytics’ keyword analytics are mostly hidden by Google to protect

users’ privacy. But, just because you don’t have the exact answer doesn’t

mean you can’t infer insights from data trends.

1. Review top organic landing pages and identify topics/themes:

• Add calls-to-action to improve conversions on top organic pages

• Build an opportunity analysis for pages not performing well

organically

2. Link your Google Analytics account to Search Console for in-depth

search analytics, revealing:

• The actual search queries that people are using and your site is

appearing for

• Searches you are currently appearing for, but are not being clicked

on

• Where you are appearing, but are too far down in the results for

searchers to get to

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Think Beyond the Norm and Expand Past Google and “Link-Building”H O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Stop thinking of guest blogging as just link-building. Instead, recognize that you are reaching a new, expanded

audience and generating referral traffic.

• Niche sites: think of the industry sites that you follow

• Referral sites: LinkedIn Pulse, Reddit, Pinterest, Medium

Stop thinking of SEO as just optimizations for Google. Instead, apply

this concept to other third-party sites outside of Google.

• Secondary search markets: Bing, Yahoo

• Ecommerce: Amazon, Alibaba

• New mediums: Google Images, YouTube

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Use New SERP Features and Signals in Your FavorH O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Use structured data/rich snippets to provide additional context and clues to Google and other search engines

about the meaning of a page. By adding this data, you give your site the ability to show up in additional SERP

features.

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BONUS: Use Google’s New “Social” Feature!H O W T O A D D R E S S P U S H B A C K

Posting on Google is a new way to share relevant, fresh content with the people who are searching for you.

Use images, videos and even animated GIFs to engage your audience, and add inline links to drive traffic to

specific content.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

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Key TakeawaysH I L E - L I G H T S P R E S E N T S

• Don’t put all your eggs in the keyword ranking basket. Keyword rankings are too hard and

inaccurate to measure. There are other more important factors that affect organic growth that

people/companies have ignored for too long.

• SERPs are constantly changing. We’re never going to be able to keep up with the search engine

algorithms, we just have to be willing and ready to adapt with them.

• There are other ways to “rank in Google”. Take advantage of the SERP features Google gives you

access to.

• Don’t limit your organic growth tactics to Google. There are hundreds of other sites and platforms

that can directly affect your results.

Check out our takeaway: http://bit.ly/Rankpocalypse

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QUESTIONS?

Thank you!

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