A4U Expo EuropeMünchen 2010
Bas van den Beld
The changing SERPS and what to do with them
Who am I?
One sheet about me• NetTraject
• Search & social strategy expert, blogger, trainer, speaker
• Radioshow
• Founder Searchcowboys
• Founder Stateofsearch.com
• International blogger
The SERPS are changing
How do we handle these changes?
What is a “SERP”?
Search Engine Results Page
What are we going to talk about?
• Understanding search engines• A look at the changes• Strategies on how to handle the changes
Extra:• Some specific tips• Q&A
To understand the changes…
You must understand how the search engines “think”
If others say its good, they believe it
Search engines are like humans
Therefore links matter…
How do search engines think?
Search Engines are trying to understand what the user really wants
User intent
How do search engines think?
Hand out the information as fast as you can
We live in a Google World
Google dominates Europe
95%
97% 95%
97%97%94%90%94%
97%97%
96% 97%
97%
95% 99%98% 95%
59%
98%
More than Google?
2nd largest search engine?
Another one…
2nd largest search engine?
Guess who owns YouTube…
Guess who integrates YouTube…
Focus on Google
Let’s take a look at the SERPS
1,8 + 1
How do users respond to this?
Users look at a page for max 1,8 second
Users only take 1 look
How do users respond to this?
Top results are important
Google is changing
Google is looking at the user
Google is changing
User intent
There was the design change
Google is changing
And its not about the films
Universal SearchSearch results pages now include• Video• Images• PR/News Releases• Maps/Local Search• Products• Books• Finance
… AND MORE
Let’s take a good look at the changes
NL
Research shows: images attract attention
Google is changing
Google is changingImage search
Google is not always right…
Video is becoming more important
Google is changing
Google responses to location
Google is changing
Local - Places
Newsrelated articles can change in the top of the SERPS
The placement of the News results can change, based on relevance
Google is changing
Users are tempted to use the suggestions
Suggestions are based on number of searches
Google is changing
Results from your friends in your ‘social circle’
Google is changing
All elements are shown within the SERPS
Google is changing
Changes in responses
Other results are getting more attention
More changes
“Realtime” becoming more important
More changes
Realtime going to specific places
Personalized Search
More changes
Rankings might change from one person to another!
Personalized search
Personalized search
They are spending more time on the Google pages
A little trick
Cd=1
Google’s redesign
Google’s extra sidebar
Time differences
Social or not
Different types
Already visited pages
Google’s extra sidebar
Sizes
Types
In images other options
Colors
What does that mean for response?
What does that mean for response?
Source: http://www.explido-webmarketing.de
What does that mean for response?
Source: http://www.explido-webmarketing.de
Shopping results
Music
Playing songs in the results
Brands
Vince Update: Brands
Not all is good for Brands
Not all is good for Brands
Not all is good for Brands
Search in search
Local results
Mobile
Mobile is not the future, its here already
Mobile Universal
Mobile Suggest
Google Goggles
We have to change with the SERPS
Changing the way you think is hard but important
We have to change with the SERPS
Don’t change and you will be lonely…
We have to change with the SERPS
Dare to look in different directions
We have to change with the SERPS
Dare to step away from your site
We have to change with the SERPS
Listen to your audience
We have to change with the SERPS
Communicate with your potential visitor
Communicate at their place
We have to change with the SERPSMake sure it fits both you and your target audience
Go where your visitors go, but only if it fits
We have to change with the SERPS
Twitter is not sacred but handy
But Twitter is being indexed by the engines…
We have to change with the SERPS
Use YouTube
We have to change with the SERPS
Use images, both on and off your site
They will recognize you
We have to change with the SERPS
Blogs are well indexed and found
Get in touch with 'influentials'
If they talk about you they will find you
Use bloggers
The Sony example
New LCD TV launched, pre-informed bloggers
The Sony example
Optimized video’s
The Sony example
At the launch they dominated the SERPS
But I’m an affiliate, not Sony!
Can Affiliates do this?
The affiliate way
Be creative
Think outside of the box
Dominate the results
Next Steps?
Be creative
Listen to your audience
Look outside your own siteLook what fits you
Dominate the SERPS!!
TipCheck what Tom Critchlow said on Universal Search
Questions?
www.stateofsearch.comwww.basvandenbeld.comwww.nettraject.nl
twitter.com/basvandenbeldlinkedin.com/basvandenbeld
Thanks to @jondmyers for some of the examples
Image optimisation
• Ensure image has keyword relevant name or it is game over at the start
• Include Alt Attribute (alt=“keywords”) – bit dated but works!
• Use a title/headline by your image• If possible, place it on separate page • Inbound links are always a good option • Include relevant text to surround it• Use dashes rather than underscores in multiword
images names – seems to work! Source: @jondmyers
Local optimisation• Can appear in first position pushing almost all results below fold• Submission to Google Local Business (Places) is a must
– Use unique phone number as identifier– If you have Multiple Locations use a bulk upload sheet or XML
Feed– Use Tracked URL on the Ad
• Don't forget SEO of content as well!– Think Local optimise keywords to include location including on
Tags image, Page and within URL– Get local links to local pages with related locality anchor text– Ensure high degree of relevancy in all submissions of content for
localSource: @jondmyers
Shopping optimisation
• Utilise standard on page optimisation techniques• Construct feeds in XML (Google needs data feeds for Google
Products to work)– Inclusion within 24 hours– Listings only Live for 30 days– Resubmit maybe once per week in bulk
• Detail descriptions a big positive• Make sure the images are high quality• So how does Google Products work?
Source: @jondmyers
News optimisation
News Optimisation
• Craft using standard SEO techniques• Ensure newsworthy• Write for it to be posted and picked up by authority sites• Very powerful SEO for large content sites such as Newspaper
Groups– Sites Crawled every 5 mins for content – Pick and promote against buzz search from archives and
submit to Google News– In News index within 15 mins
• Leverage the tie 1 wires to be picked up by Reuters etc• And finally……submit to Google News! Source: @jondmyers
Video developments
• Google has opened their APIs to also include specific sitemaps for videos
• It’s no longer just restricted to just YouTube and Google Videos in the SERPs
• Can get your video (that’s hosted on your site) included in SERPs
• Includes thumbnail of video • YouTube is creating a Video Site search to leverage being
Number 2 Search Engine• Can choose to display content against specific brand
channels and sites Source: @jondmyers