Chicago • November 4–7, 2013 • #SESCHI @SESConf
Assess. Diagnose. Fix. How to Become a Leading SEO Mechanic
Grant Simmons Director, SEO & Social Product The Search Agency
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
The Search Agency
Grant Simmons @simmonet
Father. Marketer. SEO. Sailor. But not necessarily in that order when there’s a fair wind…
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Assess. Diagnose. Fix.
Agency scenario • Business Development • 2 audits a week • No access to historical data • No access to analyTcs • Provide insights & opportuniTes • Show value of fixing / engaging • Ask & inspire quesHons
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
The Fix Dilemma
• Always ask • Don’t think you’re smartest guy in the room • There are oYen concerns or challenges • Strive for “least imperfect”
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Assess / Diagnose
tools
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
“ Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the (SEO) world. ”
Archimedes
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Affordable is nice….
… Free is be`er!
☺
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
From the Horse’s Mouth
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
• Webmaster Tools /webmasters • AnalyTcs /analyTcs • Real Time Insights /think/tools/real-‐Tme-‐insights.html
• Pagespeed /developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/ • Trends / Correlate /trends /trends/correlate • Keyword Planner /adwords.google.com/keywordplanner
Google has great (free) SEO tools!
… and the Google search results!
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
But… Don’t Forget Bing*
Content is the reason Keyword research is the beacon Quality is your watch word Authority is your goal Niche is your star8ng point User Experience is your religion…
…and use the free tools provided. Duane Forrester, Sr. Product Manager – Bing Webmaster Tools
*Bing = Bing Is Not Google
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Okay… Now Forget Bing
☺ @simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Okay… Now Forget Bing
☺ @simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Okay… Now Forget Bing
Sorry Duane @simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google Search Results
SERP
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google SERP is great…
… and who is going to argue with Google?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Key SEO Components • Onsite Relevance • Offsite Authority
Google SERP is great to assess:
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
• Core SEO elements • Crawl challenges • Content issues • Internal linking • Markup
Onsite Relevance
Image: My Local SEO Guy
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
• “Digital Footprint” • ReputaTon
Offsite Authority
Image: Travel Research Online
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
How many of you…
☺ @simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
How many of you…
☺ Google yourselves?
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
How many of you…
☺ Google your brand?
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google Brand
• Shows what’s brand relevant • Shows order of relevance • Highlights digital footprint • Demonstrates reputaTon • Provides compeTTve insights
++ Image: Content Verve
Danger Will Robinson! Sign Out!
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google Brand
• Homepage 1st
• Title / Meta • Knowledge Graph • Sitelinks • “Digital Footprint”
– Social, News, Universal • Paid Ads • Authorship • ReputaTon
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Examples
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Title / Meta (with caveats) Google may show brand only | Google decides what to show
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
ReputaTon
• Results that suck (traffic) • Assess difficulty
– Age / authority – Friendly assets
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Sitelinks ~ Internal Linking
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Digital Footprint
• Social visibility • Universal results
What can you influence? What can you control? Where are the opportuniTes? Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Markup / Authorship
• See nothing when you should – RaTngs / reviews – Authorship headshot – OpportuniTes
Fix? Assess / Diagnose: www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets Learn: www.schema.org
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Discoveries
Click through min. 3 pages
Fix?
• Found old affiliate page • STll in index
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
@simmonet
Possibly find
• Robots.txt • HTML sitemap
• XML Sitemap
– In robots.txt? ☺
Quick site: Tp
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Quick Fact > 20% of queries on
Google every day have never been seen before
☺ 38% are about Miley Cyrus Twerking
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Are you tweeHng this stuff?
☺
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Your best friend -‐ Site:
• Lists pages within domain specified • Generally lists rank order • Shows pages in index
– DirecTonal not exact • Has filters
– Advanced operators
++
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google Site:
• With www & without – Subdomain visibility
• Homepage 1st • RelaTve page import • URL structure • CanonicalizaTon • Title tag / meta pa`erns • # indexed pages
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Examples
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
@simmonet
Homepage Oops • Would expect homepage 1st
So…
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Homepage Oops • Clicked to homepage • NoTced redirect • Site: desTnaTon URL ….hmmm • Ran redirect checker • Oops… > 1 year of “temporary”
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Subdomains
www & without • Index page count ...hmmm • Click to discover
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Subdomain Cross Over
• Site:site keyword • IdenTfied:
– ‘dead’ subdomain – Cross-‐linking opps – Duplicate challenges
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Pa`erns = Problems
• Looking for spin • Click through • Zero engagement • “Thin”
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Subdomain Visibility
• Look for pages that shouldn’t be indexed • QuesTon: Do they deserve to rank? For what?
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Content Issues
• IdenTfy URL structure challenges – Site: domain.com/subdirectory
• Look for duplicates with different URLs
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Indexed Content Challenges
• Filtered results in index = possibility of duplicate or ‘thin’ content signals
• Challenges of faceted navigaTon
• eCommerce plaworm – “Least imperfect”
44 Proprietary and Confidential
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Quick Tip -‐ Content SyndicaTon
• “Quoted Content” • 16k results? • Either scraped or given • Which should rank? • Ownership is key
45 Proprietary and Confidential
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Quick Fact 42% of all metrics are made up to illustrate a dumb point
☺ Nuff said @simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
It’s a Wrap!
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Google SERP is great…
… and who is going to argue with Google?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
SERP Assessment / Diagnosis
Brand • Titles / Snippets • ReputaTon • Sitelinks • Digital footprint • Min. 3 page result review
– Discovery
SERP
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
SERP Assessment / Diagnosis
Site: • Order / Rank • Indexed pages • Sub domains • Pa`erns • URL structure • Robots.txt / XML sitemap
SERP
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
SERP Assessment / Diagnosis
Other cool stuff • Content dupes • Advanced searches
– InTtle etc. • Google instant • Related searches • NegaTve searches
SERP
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
The Fix Dilemma
• Always ask • You’re not the smartest guy in room • There are known unknowns • Strive for “least imperfect”
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Last Fact 43% are not sure if I’m English or American
☺ 72% believe I’m the voice over for the GEICO lizard
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Grant Simmons Father. Marketer. SEO. Sailor. [email protected] @simmonet linkedin/in/simmonet +GrantSimmons
Thank you!
Chicago • November 4–7, 2013 • #SESCHI @SESConf
Assess. Diagnose. Fix. How to Become a Leading SEO Mechanic
Grant Simmons Director, SEO & Social Product The Search Agency
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Quick Fact Share of Voice is an important metric
☺ ¼ of all barber shop quartet singers believe they get their fair share of voice
@simmonet
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Advanced Search google.com/advanced_search
googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Robots.txt Blocks? • Indexing issues • CanonicalizaTon of pages • Cause for concern • Or at least further invesTgaTon
58 The Search Agency | Proprietary and Confidential
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
InternaTonalizaTon Faux Pas
• Subdomains not language localized
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
URL Structure
• Can idenTfy errant sub directories • CompeTTve insights • Inform new structures / opportuniTes
Fix?
Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf
Characters in Titles / Snippets
• Could be more of a future consideraTon • Google is the most discriminaTng of users
Fix?