seo pitfalls and how to avoid them
TRANSCRIPT
SEO Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Presented by Nate DameFounder/President, SEOperks
Agenda
• Panda and Penguin updates• Link building - what works today & forever• Google’s new Disavow Tool• Social Media & Content Marketing• Next steps
Overview: The Panda Updates
Panda Update Explained
Penguin Update
Watch the SEOperks blog for more about Penguin.
Today’s SEO Landscape
Panda: Focus on user experience.Penguin: Don’t break the rules.
Pitfall #1: Questionable Link Building
Real Links
Link Building the Right Way
• Do meaningful stuff• Build authentic relationships (new and old)• PR (both ways)
How Links are EarnedNo Yes
BREAKING NEWS: Disavow Tool
Pitfall #2: Thin Content
Answer, Please?!?
Impact of a Content Buildout
Deep Content Example
Deep Content Example
Content: Where to Start
Create Content That:• Addresses your industry’s pain points.• Informs your niche’s “buyer” keywords.• Focuses on real people.Stalk your competitors for ideas, too.
Next:• Link bait campaigns.• Broader Content Marketing.
Pitfall #3: On-site Manipulation
Pitfall #4: Rely on Social Media for the Wrong Things
Source: SEOmoz’s Search Ranking Factorshttp://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors
Link Building (42% total)
Social Media(7% total)
Use Social Media to Earn Links!
More fun: http://www.bitrebels.com/social/how-social-media-is-making-us-awkward-infographic/
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/social-media-is-making-us-awkward--some-graphs/2012/06/26/gJQAL0ZT4V_blog.html
From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/social-media-is-making-us-awkward--some-graphs/2012/06/26/gJQAL0ZT4V_blog.html
Don’t Forget Google+
Pitfall #5: Ignore Content Marketing
Content Marketing at it’s Best
Pitfall #6: Cheap SEO
Pitfall #7: Stop Learning
So What Now?
Identify SEO Goals
Where are we going?• Who is your target customer?• What “buyer” keyword are they using?• What “research” keywords are they using?• What are the steps in our sales funnel?• What are the steps we can measure on our
website (lead form, Add to Cart button, etc.)?• What reporting methods are we using?
On-site SEO (technical)
Do search engines see my site?• Is your site accessible to search engines?• Is your site easy for search engines to navigate?• Is your site performance an issue?• Duplicate content: Do search engines don’t see
your site “doubled”? (surprisingly common)• Etc.
Content Strategy Foundations
Content is the foundation.• Do you have helpful, resourceful and
informative content on your website for your target keywords?
• Is your content user focused?• Is your content strategy fresh - frequently
updated?• Do you have an active social media presence?
User Experience
Does my site convert?• Is your site structure and layout designed with real
people in mind first, search engines second?• Does your site have a modern, uncluttered design?• Does your site have a trustworthy look and layout?• Does your site generate leads and sales?• Have I identified and addressed the drop points in
my conversion funnel?
Content Marketing Strategy
Does my content strategy pull my marketing, sales and SEO together for maximum return?• Have you identified your industries pain points?• Have you developed deep content to address those pain
points?• Is your content strategy coordinated with your sales and
marketing funnel to increase leads and close sales?• Does your content strategy have the potential to go viral?• Is your content received favorably and spread throughout
relevant social networks?
Link Building
Is my site earning links?• Have you established realistic link building goals? • Have you identified your target partners?• Do you monitor your target link partner’s websites for linking
opportunities?• Have you setup Google Alerts to identify new linking
opportunities?• Do you have an outreach strategy integrated with your editorial
calendar to maximize new link opportunities?• Is your outreach team equipped with the research, tracking and
reporting tools they need?
Questions to ask your SEO company.
• What is your approach to link building?Listen for words that you want to hear such as “natural link development,” “content strategy / content marketing,” and above all “relational link building.”
• How does SEO fit in the bigger picture of online marketing?SEO is inseparable from practically every aspect of online marketing and is even impacted by offline marketing. Be concerned if they say that SEO can work effectively as a siloed approach, or if they don’t need any coordination with you to be effective.
• Can you promise me #1 rankings for my priority keywords?This is a trick question. You want to hear “no” because no SEO company can guarantee those results.
Questions?
Like us! www.facebook.com/seoperks
Nate Dame (@seonate)Founder / [email protected] (312) 870-0056
Peter RyanDirector of [email protected](262) 894-6360