Presentation given to PDXTech4Good on March 20, 2012. Covers current SEO tactics for the new search results landscape, Google Plus & Google Search Plus Your World and SEO tips and tricks. See this page for more SEM presentations: http://www.amplify-interactive.com/search-engine-marketing-resources/sem-presentations/

1. Get Found:
How to Win Rankings
&
Influence Search Results

2. Who Is This Guy?
BEN LLOYD | PRESIDENT, Amplify Interactive
• Focused on SEO/SEM since 1999
• Regularly speaks about SEM at national and local conferences
• Participates in developing all client-strategy
• President, SEMpdx

3. Gratuitous Cat Photo

4. Agenda
• Search Results Landscape
• Google SPYW & What it Means to You
• Ranking Factors
• Understand & Leverage Opportunities
• Integrating SEO, Social & Content
Marketing
• The Only Link You Need
– http://bit.ly/GBEm8u

5. SEARCH RESULTS LANDSCAPE

6. CURRENT SEARCH RESULTS LANDSCAPE

7. So… Tell Me Who‟s Ranked #3?
Signed Out Signed In

8. SEO & SOCIAL – A BRIEF TIMELINE
2009/2010
• Google starts using social signals in search results
• Bing / Facebook form data partnership (shuts out
Oct 2010 Google)
• SEOmoz study shows strong correlation between social
2011 metrics and rankings
• Twitter & Google end relationship
July 2011
• Google Plus launches
Sep 2011
• Google introduces SPYW (Search, plus Your World)
Jan 2012

9. Google Search, Plus Your World
In other words – ultra-personalized results

10. THE TIME HAS COME

11. SO HOW DOES STUFF GET
RANKED ANYWAY?

12. SEO: Links = Authority = Rankings
Overall Ranking Algorithm
Page Level Link Metrics
6% 5% Domain Level Link Authority
21%
7% Page Level Keyword Usage
7% Domain Level Keyword Usage
7% Page Level Social Metrics
21%
Domain Level Brand Metrics
11%
Page Level Keyword Agnostic
15% Features
Page Level Traffic/Query Data
Domain Level Keyword Agnostic
Features
The takeaway? On-site optimization is critical, but links and other off-
site factors are a tremendous part of the ranking algorithm
-Source: 2011 SEOmoz study “Search Engine Ranking Factors”

13. Rankings &
Authority
Traffic
Get Links &
Identify Your
Social
Attention SEO & Social: Keywords
Create Authority
Develop Map
Unique and Keywords to
Interesting Your Content
Content & ID Gaps
On-Site SEO
• Content
Optimization
• Internal Links

14. BUT SEARCH IS NOW BIGGER THAN YOUR SITE
The Content and the Experience Matter - Not the Container

15. FUTURE OF SEARCH
SEM & Other Disciplines Need to Work Together to Build
Authority AND You Can Build Authority for Your Other “Sites”

16. Tips for Today‟s Search Engine Landscape
SEARCH & SOCIAL
OPPORTUNITIES

17. CREATE & OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE+ PAGE
• How? Bit.ly

18. OPPORTUNITY: PEOPLE & BRANDS
 Choose your battles, but
you MUST have a G+ MY CONTACT
page/strategy
 Create, optimize and
connect pages for your MY CONTENT
brand
 Key personnel must
optimize & connect
profiles to brand
 Promote your content MY BRAND
from your profiles
 How? See Bit.ly

19. OPPORTUNITY & „DUH‟ TACTIC
• Beg borrow & steal for +1‟s
• Make G+ / +1‟s a prominent call to action
• To get people next to your results – you‟ve got to expand your
circles & get +1‟s

20. OPPORTUNITY: RICH SNIPPETS & AUTHOR
• Structured content is a “Sign Post” for search engines
• “Own” more of the results page, draw attention (clicks) to your result
• Click through can be 20%-30% higher when present in results
– More clicks = more visits = links & social activity = AUTHORITY
• How? See Bit.ly

21. OPPORTUNITY: UNIVERSAL SEARCH
• Each „tab‟
represents an
opportunity
• Content
appears on
primary results
page
• You can rank
here even if
your “page”
doesn‟t
• How? See Bit.ly

22. Sitemaps & Webmaster Tools
• Got lots of specialized content? There‟s a sitemap for that
• Webmaster tools: Know how your site/content is doing in search
• Bing‟s got one too
• How? See Bit.ly

23. SEO, Content Development, Links & Social
INTEGRATING SEO & SOCIAL

24. Build Authority: Social Supports SEO
Social Media Generates Links AND Reaches the People With the
Power to Link
Appealing to the types of users
who have the power to link
will generate more
links, which raises a sites
authority
What Types of Users Link?
• Website/Blog owners (ie –
they have the ability to link!)
• Participate in social media
sites, forums & groups
• Looking for great “stories” to
Image courtesy SEOmoz
share

25. The Marketer‟s Link/Social Conundrum

26. There‟s More Than One Way to Score
The slam dunk =
Get a link directly
to a page.
But that‟s tough
for „corporate‟
content

27. • This page is well optimized & ranks
well for several keywords
• It‟s got a few links that we‟ve
placed
• But who‟s going to link to it?
• Who‟s going to like it? Share it?

28. YOUR
BLOG
CAN
HELP

29. BLOGS NATURALLY ATTRACT LINKS & SOCIAL

30. There‟s More Than One Way to Score
The “Bank Shot”
Your “interesting”
content acquires
authority naturally
Internal links to
related „corporate‟
content is an
authority “bank
shot”

31. The Link-Building Bank Shot
Interesting Page
w/ Internal Link
Links & Shares Target Page

32. Internal Links in Practice
Blog Post Links to SEM Services Page

33. AND IT RANKS

34. Getting Internal Links Right
 Off-site “managed” content counts too
 (YouTube, PR, etc)
 Adding links after the fact sucks
 Bake them in from the start – just one will do
 Best links are keyword anchor text in the body copy
 The „higher up‟ in the content, the better
 Next best option is a callout/„blurb‟
 Navigation, sidebars & footers don‟t really count
 REALLY highlight the social/sharing CTA on your
„interesting‟ content
 Double-bank: Linking to resources, releases other
posts etc that ALSO have a link to the target page

35. BUILD SEO (AND INTERNAL LINKS) INTO
YOUR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

36. TIPS & TAKEAWAYS

37. GAIN VISIBILITY
• Get a Google Plus strategy
– Grow your circles
– Add G+ buttons to your site/content
• Leverage all your content
– Optimize your profiles
– Sitemaps
– Rich Snippets
– “Universal” SEO
• Leverage internal links
– Blog & “socialize” your content

38. Thanks for your time!
Questions?