My presentation from the BrightEdge 2014 Share conference about tactics and strategies for Navigating Secure (SSL) Search for SEO since Google removed most keyword visibility from moving towards secure search via HTTPS.
3. Agenda
About Me & Red Door Interactive
Google’s Move to Secure Search
How SEOs Have Adjusted
Methods, Strategies & Tool Solutions
Recap
4. About Me & Red Door Interactive
SEO since 2001
Author: A to Z: Social Media Marketing
Columnist at Marketing Land and others
International Speaker
Masters in Communication
@JordanKasteler
Founded in 2002
Full Service Marketing & Advertising Agency
Offices in San Diego, Carlsbad, and Denver
Core Values:
Inspire
Share
Evolve
Exceed
100% Jerk-Free
5. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler
• Thin & Low Quality Content
• Long-Tail Keyword Abuse
• “What Should I Do if I Drop my
Cell Phone in the Water?”
• “What Should I Do if I Drop my
iPhone in the Water?”
• Why is water wet?
• What makes water wet?
• How water makes things wet.
Feb 2011
7. Google’s Move to Secure Search
Intent vs Keywords
15% of daily keywords haven’t been seen before
What users mean versus what they say.
Content that people are interested in and serves a need. Not content
formulated around keywords.
@JordanKasteler
“People communicate with each other by conversation, not by typing
keywords — and we’ve been hard at work to make Google understand and
answer your questions more like people do.”
– Amit Singhal, Head of Google Search
August 2013
9. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler
Why is Google encrypting searches?
Provides users with increased security as search becomes more
customizable.
Sets and continues to follow industry standards for security.
Industry professional speculation: Pushes marketers to rely more on
Google PPC for search optimization.
Think about keywords less and intent more.
10. How SEOs Have Adjusted
Persona Development
Site Search
Landing Page Traffic & Engagement Analysis
@JordanKasteler
Performance by device type, browser, OS, geography, demographic, interests
Conversion Optimization and Analysis (not always a website issue)
Grouping Keyword Buckets & Ranking Monitoring By:
Keyword Size: (Head, Torso, Longtail)
Topic
Buying Stage
Intent (transactional, informational, commercial investigation, navigational)
12. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted – Search Intent
Search Query Classification Funnel
Informational
80% of search volume
Non-commercial, non-transaction-oriented
Example: what is an XYZ?
Commercial Investigation
10% of search volume
Research-oriented with implied conversion action
Example: XYZ vs ABC
Transactional
10% of search volume
Explicit intent to complete a conversion action
Example: buy an XYZ
14. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted – Search Intent
Keyword-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Incorporate keyword
“XYZ” into page copy and important on-page
elements.
Intent-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Identify the primary topics
and questions users are looking to answer when
searching for “XYZ” and create content to address
the user’s needs on the targeted landing page.
15. Methods, Strategies & Tool Solutions
Google & Bing Webmaster Tools
Top Queries & Pages (clicks/impressions)
Bright Edge DataCube
Site Search
Google AdWords
Paid & Organic Reports
RDI Brand vs Non-Brand Internal Predictive Analysis
@JordanKasteler
About the speaker/organization
Business issues/challenge/opportunity with quantification
Solution: what we did with details, examples
Results with quantifiable benefits
Lessons learned and gotchas to share with the audience
Take-aways/how you can do this too
Landing pages - Measure organic traffic in segments that correspond to specific keyword themes of interest and monitor both the traffic and conversions from those segments
Longtail = better intent
Conversions aren’t always a website issue
Landing pages - Measure organic traffic in segments that correspond to specific keyword themes of interest and monitor both the traffic and conversions from those segments
# of unique LPS from organic
Performance by device type, browser, OS, geography, demographic, interests
When developing that content, we need to consider where a user is in the 3-phase search query funnel: Objective: to identify content gaps on the site and highlight opportunities for content improvements to better address searcher needs at each stage in the funnel
Limited to 90 days
Impressions and CTR wasn’t available in GA
Limited to 90 days
Impressions and CTR wasn’t available in GA
Limited to 90 days
Impressions and CTR wasn’t available in GA
*bournolli - from historic data - originally built NP 24-30%. 95% statistical confidence > NP now 90% so mult-benoulli no longer as much.
*GWT model > clicks.
*behavior model - brand vs non-brand = diff behavior. branded pages. HP = highly branded. visit #3+ = highly branded > = other types of behaviours (act holder/logged in = branded; time spent on LP - lower if branded as they know where to go for wishy washy pages; # of pages historical)
weights to diff models