This Is Not the SEO You're Looking For

This is Not THE SEO You’re Looking ForThe truths, myths, and best practices behind a modern SEO strategy.

PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Michael ReynoldsAbout Michael: • President / CEO of SpinWeb • Cellist • Sushi connoisseur • Tennis player • Marketing/tech nerd • www.spinweb.net

I Want SEO!Common Requests:

• “We want to rank for [big term XYZ].” • “We’ve lost search rankings… help!” • “We need to ‘optimize’ our website for SEO.” • “We need to get keywords in our site!” • “We want people to find us when they type in

[big competitive search term].”

The “Good Old Days” of SEOStuff that Used to Work:

• Keyword stuffing • Lots of technical optimization • Inbound link strategies • Title tag hacks • SEO “Projects” • “Doing SEO”

SEO MythsLies Still Getting Told:

• SEO means ranking for “big” keywords • SEO is all about tuning my website • SEO is an IT function • I just need lots of inbound links • Meta tags/descriptions are a big deal • My home page needs keywords • Once my site is optimized, I’m done

How Google WorksGoogle’s primary objective is to serve the best possible content to the end user (the searcher).

HummingbirdGoogle’s Hummingbird Algorithm will focus more on the meaning, or semantics, of search phrases, as opposed to the individual words within them.

Modern SEO Tactic #1Create buyer personas and target what they are searching for, not just your product/service keywords. Track realistic keywords and use them for content ideas, not literal targets.

Example: HR Consulting

Modern SEO Tactic #2Consistently produce and publish really really really sincere content that solves problems.

Example: Types of Content

Modern SEO Tactic #3Build out strong social profiles, especially Google+. Set up Authorship on blog and other publications. Network on social media and create partnerships. Also use personal profiles.

Example: Authorship/Social

Myth: Site SubmissionYou don’t need to submit your website to Google. It will be indexed regardless.

Myth: I Need Inbound LinksIf you publish great content with sincerity and heart, quality inbound links will appear. Gaming the system with low-quality links will not work.

Myth: Meta Tags!Google announced back in 2009 that meta descriptions (and meta keywords) have no bearing on search rankings.

Myth: SEO is a ProjectSEO is not “set it and forget it.” It is an ongoing program that should be viewed holistically to focus on quality throughout on-page optimization, off-page optimization, user experience, and conversions. It’s baked into everything.

Myth: Exact Search Terms!Google’s algorithm looks for intent, not exact terms. Write naturally and conversationally and you will have a better chance at winning at SEO.

Myth: Home Page Keywords!When doing it right, you’ll get a lot of incoming search traffic via your blog, not your home page. Design with usability in mind… not keywords.

Myth: Microsites Will HelpMicrosites can be valid if they serve a marketing goal, but are not useful as a SEO tactic.

Myth: SEO Can Happen FastBuilding search traffic takes time and effort. It can take months for it to start showing momentum, but once you get rolling it can really start to pay off.

The Technical StuffTune the Following:

• Titles: go for relevance, not keywords • Usability: use ALT tags, meta description

(for conversion optimization) • Responsive website • Subdomains are fine

Results

Results

Results

SEO Reality

(image courtesy of Moz and used with permission)

SEO = Inbound Marketing

Social Media

SearchContent Marketing

SaleSale

Landing pages / CTAs

Email campaigns

Conversion optimization

Workflows / Segmentation

Lead scoring CRM integration

This is Not THE SEO You’re Looking ForThe truths, myths, and best practices behind a modern SEO strategy.

PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS