Know Your Enemy - The New SEO & Outsmarting Google Penguin

KNOW YOUR ENEMY
A Case Study & Tips for Outsmarting Google Penguin
http://webdigia.com/blog/3-crucial-google-penguin-seo-tips
Presented @ The 2013 Innotech eMarketingSummit - Portland
for

AMPLIFY INTERACTIVE
www.amplify-interactive.com
Boutique Agency – All We Do is Search
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Pay Per Click (PPC) – Search & Social Ads
• Social Media Management & Optimization
• Web Analytics
2010 + 2011 AMA MAX AWARD – BEST SINGLE MEDIUM ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
BEN LLOYD | PRESIDENT, AMPLIFY INTERACTIVE
• Focused on SEO/SEM since 1999
• Founded Amplify Interactive in 2003
• Participates in developing all client strategy
• Co-Founder & Past President - SEMpdx

IMPROVING THE WEB & KILLING BAD SEO
WHY PENGUIN? (AND PANDA)
Google‟s algorithm updates are intended to improve &
maintain satisfaction with search results (and to keep
you coming back to Google and clicking on PPC ads).
They want sites in the results that are earning
rankings on merit instead of knowing how to buy links.

PENGUIN SLAPPED
A Case Study
https://gifsoup.com/view/4622332/penguin-slap.html

BACKGROUND
• Outdoor furniture site
• I THINK I hid the ID of the offending site
• We didn‟t do this to the site in the 1st place 
• Suffered a big loss in search engine traffic…
this case study shows how I figured out they
were nailed by Penguin.

PENGUIN TOOLKIT
• Dates: Penguin 1.0 = 4/24/12
o http://www.seomoz.org/google-algorithm-change
o MozCast
• Analytics
• OpenSiteExplorer
• Google Webmaster Tools
o You will not get a notification
This is the “toolkit” I used to collect and analyze
the data to show the Penguin penalty.
Knowing dates of algorithm updates is key to
identifying patterns. The rest of the tools are for
dissecting the link profile of the site.

SITE AFFECTED BY PENGUIN
• 3/23: Panda 3.4 – Over-Optimization
• 4/24: Penguin 1.0 – Spammy Links
• 5/30: Memorial Day - Seasonal Decline

ANALYSIS: PRE/POST PENGUIN
• 2 weeks before & 2 weeks after
• Doesn‟t look like much – 39% difference
• 1 specific referring keyword sticks out

ANY GUESSES?
Look at all the optimized anchor text
Anchor Text Profile
adirondack chairs
adirondack chair
wooden adirondack chairs
cedar adirondack chairs
wood adirondack chair
http://www.domainname.com/adchair1.
html
Cedar Wood Furniture
Branded Anchor
Text is usually
the biggest slice

HOME PAGE COMES IN 2ND
Inbound Links by Page
http://www.domainname.com/adc
hair1.html
http://www.domainname.com/
http://www.domainname.com/pot
tingbenches.html
http://www.domainname.com/fire
woodracks.html
http://www.domainname.com/cat
dog.html
http://domainname.com/
http://www.cedarwoodfurniture.co
m/porchswings2.html
m/windowboxes.html
m/homegarden.html
The home page is usually
the most linked-to page…
this profile is a red flag

POOR QUALITY LINKS
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
63 55 49 44 39 34 29 24 19 14 9
Page Authority of Linking Page
Links by Page Authority
Number of Links
The bulk of pages linking to
this site are poor quality…
another red flag

I FOUND SITES LIKE THIS
I started investigating the links to the site – these are
the first few links I found by picking from open site
explorer at random. None of them are good.

I FOUND ARTICLES LIKE THIS
Most of the chairs you can find for outdoor use are
mere replications of the designs that you can see for
indoor use. If there are deep-seating sofas in the
living room, arm chairs in the dining room or recliners
in the den, you can always find that they have their
corresponding counterparts in the patio furniture. If
you wish, however, for an exquisite and unique design
that is built specifically for the outside setting then
you should go for Adirondack chairs.

I FOUND COMMENTS LIKE THIS

SOAP BOX TIME
• How do tactics like those add value?
• Search marketing is a way to execute on your
business strategy – not the other way around
• Build a brand – not links
http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/

PENGUIN RECOVERY OPTIONS
Delete
Destroy
Dilute
 Beg for mercy

PENGUIN RECOVERY: DELETE
• Delete bad links
• It will work… if you can do it.
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/how-wpmuorg-recovered-from-the-penguin-update

PENGUIN RECOVERY: DESTROY?
Penguin is a page-specific
penalty.
If you can‟t delete links to
the offending page(s) - one
option may be to “move”
the offending page(s) by
1. Giving them new URLs
2. 404-ing the old pages
However – if it‟s the home
page that has over-built
links to it, this option may
not be viable if you‟ve got a
lot of domain equity. IN that
case, you‟re going to need
to dilute your links…
Inbound Links by Page
http://www.domain
name.com/adchair1
.html
http://www.domain
name.com/
http://www.domain
name.com/pottingb
enches.html
http://www.domain
name.com/firewood
racks.html

PENGUIN RECOVERY: DILUTE
Dilute your bad links by EARNING new/better links
Content Marketing Strategy
1. Create great content
2. Market your content
3. Get links
Sounds easy enough… but it takes time and pretty soon
the old mindset starts to prevail…

THE PROBLEM IS SEO‟S
Most “SEO‟s” then look for the „smartest‟ and fastest way to do things:
• Buy lots of articles for $20 a pop
• “Only 2% exact match anchor text”
• Buy likes: Link/like/share networks
• Find “dofollow” blogs to comment on
• Buy software to remove links
…and you‟re back in the same boat
http://www.seomoz.org/ugc/how-to-push-an-infographic

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
True to form – the site owner says:
“So we should just build more branded
links to those pages, right?”

OUTSMARTING GOOGLE PENGUIN
THE “FUTURE” OF SEO
http://www.myconfinedspace.com/2010/10/12/back-to-the-future-roads-wallpaper/back-to-the-future-roads-wallpaper-2/

OUTSMARTING PENGUIN
Who Knows What This Means?
#RCS
http://www.slideshare.net/wilreynolds/do-real-company-stuff-mozcon-2012-version

SEO IS NOT JUST SEO ANYMORE
Social Content
Technical
SEO
• User experience
o Site speed
o Responsive design
o Information
architecture
• Quality content
o Know your audience
o Anticipate their needs
o Add value
• Social & Links
o Community
participation
o Offline counts too
o Add value

Ad Copy & Messages
Content Types
Social Media
Channels & Online
Communities
Keywords & Topics
Paid Strategies
KNOW YOUR PERSONAS
GIVE YOUR AUDIENCE WHAT THEY WANT

KEYWORDS > FUNNEL > CONTENT > LEADS & SALES
• Short-form content
(blog, “resources”)
• Tips
• Ideas/Examples
• Checklists
• Q&A / Interview
Generate
Awareness
• Long-form content
(ebook)
• Low barrier
• Guides
• Templates
• Newsletter
Generate
Leads • High-Barrier
• Contact Us
• Consultation
Sales
“Tips for integrating
social media into
conferences”
“Guide to
social media
for event
planners”
“Social media
display for
trade show
booth”

www.amplify-interactive.com/blog/
@AmplifySEM
www.slideshare.com/benjaminlloyd
Thank You!

Know Your Enemy - The New SEO & Outsmarting Google Penguin

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