This document provides suggestions for developing an effective long-term SEO strategy in the post-Panda and Penguin algorithm updates. It recommends focusing on creating websites that offer genuine value to users through relevant content and user experience, and promoting sites through natural endorsements rather than manipulative linking practices. Building domain authority over time through quality content, usability improvements, and social engagement will lead to increased organic traffic more reliably than short-term tactics.

1. Haley Drummond
Director of Organic Search
One Click Ventures
@bblstrdrum

2. HALEY’S BACKGROUND
(AKA WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?)
• English / Teaching background
• Ball State / UIndy Grad
• Computer Nerd
• Cheese aficionado and Dance Central
super star
• Heads Up Organic Team at One Click
• 9 Stores, 10 People
• Scarves.net, HandbagHeaven.com,
SunglassWarehouse.com
• PR (and social) / Content / Tech / Analysis

3. HOW WE USED TO DO THINGS
On-Site Optimization
Site Architecture
Links + Anchor Text =
Crawl Errors RANKINGS
Content
Social
LINKS

4. WHY PRIORITIES HAVE TO SHIFT

5. PANDA PENGUIN
• First released February • First released April 24,
23rd, 2011 2012
• Goal: lower the rank of • Goal: lower the rank of
“low-quality” sites sites that violate
Google’s Webmaster
• Affected Sites
Guidelines
• Had weak, thin, or
scraped content • Affected Sites
• Offered little of value • Used manipulative or
• Featured poor user unnatural linking
experience practices, keyword
stuffing, or cloaking

6. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?
• Create websites that offer something of value
• Think of our users first
• Promote, don’t link build.

7. WHAT DOES LONG TERM SEO STRATEGY LOOK
LIKE POST-PANDA/PENGUIN?
Something to Offer + Genuine Endorsements
= Domain Authority
Domain Authority + On-Site Optimization =
Increased Organic Traffic

8. SOMETHING (RELEVANT) TO OFFER
• Doesn’t have to always be heavy content
• Could be video, a resource, user reviews,
advice, a forum, an awesome product, a
blog, a “how-to” guide
• Put content on product pages
• Could just be an awesome product on an
awesomely-usable site
• Has to be something someone would want
to share or link to…on their own.

9. SCARVES.NET VIDEO LIBRARY

10. THINKGEEK.COM PRODUCT PAGES

11. GENUINE ENDORSEMENTS
• Social – Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon,
Pinterest, etc, etc, etc
• Build and be a part of a community
• Guest Posting (careful!)
• Outreach (careful!)
• Make friends
Do something or create something worth
talking about, and put it in the hands of
people who might talk about it. This is old-
school marketing.

12. HOMEGOODS.COM CUSTOMER FINDS

13. SOCKS4LIFE.COM

14. WHAT IS NOT OKAY
• Irrelevant blog comments
• Crappy directories never used by humans
• Article spinning
• Sponsored posts (put nofollows on anything where $ or
product changes hands)
• Irrelevant guest posts
• Manipulative anchor text.
RELEVANCY IS KEY

15. DOMAIN AUTHORITY
The more people talk about you and the more
time they spend on your site, the more
authority your site has in the eyes of Google.
Okay, but this is really vague and hard, and the results take forever.
What can I do to get results now?

16. ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION
1. Make sure you’ve optimized your pages (This is where you can target
keywords)
• No more than 2 keywords in a title tag (Does it look spammy? Then it’s
spammy)
• Use your keywords (and related words) in a natural way on the page
• Make use of H1 tags, etc
• Don’t hide content behind images or JavaScript
• Use Image Alt Tags
• Use appropriate (and short, if possible) URLs

17. ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION
2. Ensure your site is easy to use
• Build mobile sites
• Pay attention to user feedback – get your bounce rate down
• Look in to 1-click social logins
• Review your site architecture
• Resolve crawl errors

18. THREE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES
1. Optimization of Pages
2. Create something worth promoting – something your competitors can’t
easily copy
3. Build up an audience
This is not easy. It is not fast. But because it’s genuine, it will outlast
any Google update.
Because it takes time and effort, your competitors will have a hard time
catching up with you.

19. BUT I’M NOT CREATIVE AND I’M NOT A WRITER.
That’s okay! Use what you have.
1. Expertise in your industry
2. An audience
3. Something to offer

20. IDEAS FROM THE OCV OST Hide-a-key Rocks
• Have customers share stories of being
locked out • Explain benefits of having a rock -
• Front poor decorating tips cleaning lady, baby-sitter, children who
• “Where’s Waldo” with your rock - hide it lose key, etc
and post it, ask people to find where the • Other things you could fit inside the rock,
rock is other uses for the rock
• Survey where people would hide their • Name your rock contest
key - show results and point out most • Contest - you get whatever is in your
people aren’t as secure as they think rock.
they are • Strangest places you’ve found your keys
• People you would/would not give a spare after you thought you lost them
key to • Alternatives for people who live in
• Content where people share best pet apartments where rocks would look out
rock story of place
• Landscaping tips; how to hide rock in • Other places to hide your keys that aren’t
landscaping the rock; use fake rock as a decoy
• Which rocks go the best with my brick • Contest - have people nominate most
• Share scary break-in stories habitual key loser in their family
• Home safety tips - what to do when going • Theme: selling peace of mind
out of town • Memory tips and tricks for people who
• Rock song about the rock lose keys

21. IDEAS FROM THE OCV OST A local plumber
• Poop jokes
• Funny or embarrassing stories of toilet
overflows • Testimonials
• Team up with local newspaper; have • Location-based tips - how to take care
home improvement section with different of your house in freezing weather or
articles when it’s really hot
• 5 fixes you don’t need a plumber for • Toilet seat sizing chart
• Review of drainage products • Pimp my toilet techniques
• Tips for first time home owners • What your kids have put down the toilet
• Do a quiz about plumbing emergencies - • Crazy things plumbers have found in the
what do you do when? drain
• Infographic on easy fixes • What to do if you drop your ring down
• When you need a plumber the sink or flush something down the
• DIY vs. call a plumber infographic (go toilet
crazy on Pinterest) • Simple guide on how to unclog a toilet
• How to tell your husband nicely that you • If my toilet is doing this, i should expect
need to call for backup - what you this
should say, how to get him to call the • How much $ it could cost you if you
plumber don’t fix plumbing problem
• Host a tutorial on fixes you can do • Halloween costume contest - best
yourself, record videos while you’re plumber costumes
doing it to put on YouTube • Infographic on environmental issues and
• Diagrams - label the parts of a toilet water usage with toilets

22. QUESTIONS?