Tim Grice explores the recent changes to Googles algorithm and how we should all be future proofing our websites with an SEO strategy focussed on quality.

1. Advanced SEO Strategies
Tim Grice
Head of Search

3. Unnatural Links
• In March Google made the biggest change ever to
how they handle links
o Over 1 million unnatural links messages in WMT
o Ranking drops hit 2-3 weeks later
o Link clean up needed before re-consideration should
be sent

4. Our Experience
• 50 sites been in contact regarding message
• Clean up is difficult as spam sites rarely have contact
info
• Legacy SEO agencies may not co-operate in the
removal of links
• Google are detecting/penalising blogs selling posts

5. Unnatural Links Will Hurt You!
Forum
Profiles
Comment
Paid Links
Spam
Unnatural Aggressive
Blog Link Anchor
Networks Profile Text

6. Google Changes the Game
Anchor Text?

7. Paid Link Profile

8. Over Optimisation Algorithm?

9. Summary
• Brand links on bad sites can hurt
• Only effects rankings these links are supporting
• If you‟re already ranking bad links won‟t hurt
(negative SEO)
• Link removals are an important part of SEO

10. Building a Natural Profile

11. Choose Landing Pages Not Keywords
• Do keyword research
• Allocate keywords to landing pages
• Prioritise pages by sum of keyword search volume
• Vary anchor text across all keywords
• Mix in brand variations for good measure
Google wants to rank the best result

12. Justify links with content

13. Send To Your Writers

14. Vary Anchor Text

15. Variation in Action!

16. Anchor Text
• Decide on 10 – 15 keywords per page
• Use „Brand‟ and „Noise‟ signals
• Use the Google Keyword tool/Suggest/Related
Searches

17. Social Signals
• http://www.blueglass.com/blog/secrets-of-viral-content/
• Good content always gets
far fewer links than it gets
social shares
• Make sure that you build
social shares at the same
time as you get links to
make your link building
appear natural

18. Competitor Analysis
• Use search metrics to find most shared content

19. Tweets as Links?
• Giveaways and
competitions
• 1872 tweets
• 10th most shared page

20. Infographics
• 66 links
• 119 Tweets
• 115 Facebook likes

21. Link ability vs. Share ability
Share Ability Link Ability

22. „Fresh Rank‟
• Google wants up to date content
• A page can be deemed „fresh‟ through inbound links
• Links placed in „crawled‟ content have low value

23. Freshness Test

24. Time To Get Worthy

25. Link Worthiness
Price Point
Unique
Data
Content
Website
Commentary Social
Insight

26. Think Referral, Not Link
• Why would this site refer traffic to me?
• Does the content refer as well as link to my site?
• How did I earn the link?
Links have to be justified in order to look natural

27. People Link to People

28. Good content is not enough…..
Trust
Shares
&
Links
Great Content Relationships

29. Link Building Processes

30. Link Building process
Competitor Search Shortlist QA
Analysis Google sites process
Content Pitch
Place links Story ideas
production stories
QA Promote
Track links
process links

31. Authority Comparison

32. The News Method
News Shortlist Press
Brainstorm Target Sites Release
Blog Roll Premium
Social
Out Post
Publish

33. Creating Social Hit list
• List all info graphic sites
• List all industry blogs
• List all sites that have published a similar info graphic
in the past
o Find using search
o Find using “search by image”
• Seed by asking influential users to share via social
media

34. Summary
• Remove unnatural links
• Address anchor text balance
• Focus on being link worthy
• Great sites generate shares as well as links
• Processes to focus on quality and natural signals

36. Questions?
• seowizz.net & blogstorm.co.uk
• www.branded3.com
• twitter.com/tim_grice
• tim.grice@branded3.com
• We do free link analysis and link strategy for those
who email me