The 2015 SEO "Rule Book" with Lauren Polinsky

1© 2014 MERKLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CONFIDENTIAL

The 2015 SEO “Rule Book”Presented by:Lauren PolinskyAssociate Director, Merkle, Inc.

@laurenpolinskywww.linkedin.com/in/lpolinsky

@merklecrmwww.linkedin.com/company/merkle

2© 2015 MERKLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The New SEO “Rule Book”

• Google’s Search Patents• Rule #1: Learn Your Audience• Rule #2: Make Content• Rule #3: Be Mobile Friendly• Rule #4: Get In On the Conversation• Rule #5: Earn Citations

FIRST, A LITTLE ABOUT GOOGLE


Google Knows

ReferencesReview Sites

News OutletsWebsite Info

OTAs

Patent: Assigning terms of interest to an entity 8,589,399, 3/26/12

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US8589399.pdf


Google Learns





Google Learns

Google identifies similar terms and related

phrases from sources



Google Learns

Those relevant terms are compiled within

its algorithm




Google Learns

All information gleaned is weighted & organized




Google Learns

Information about the brand is

displayed in the most useful search result type for each query




• SERP layout depends on unique queries & personal history

• User actions from SERPs are analyzed and incorporated into positioning

And Google Tests

© 2015 MERKLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?


Rule #1


• Content should be created for your users

• FAQs• Help/Tutorial Videos• Infographics

• Tools:• Google Keyword

Planner• Google Search Console• Wolfram Alpha• SEMRush ($)• Moz ($)

Learn Your Audience: Segmentation





Planner• Google Search

Console• Wolfram Alpha• SEMRush ($)• Moz ($)














MAKE CONTENT


• Educate to purchase• Detail the products or

services• Use internal linking• Describe the non-brand


Planner• Google Search Console• Analytics • Majestic ($)• Moz ($)

Learn Your Audience: Conversion Funnel

Website navigation

should include links to pages targeting the

highest search volume phrases


• Educate to purchase• Detail products +

services• Provide business history• Use internal linking

• Tools:• Google Keyword Planner• Google Search

Console• Analytics • Majestic ($)• Moz ($)

Learn Your Audience: Conversion Funnel

Reference Guide: Google Analytics

Use these menus to view how users arrive and how

they interact with site content

Understand which

channels & sites are most

valuable

How many pages

viewed?

What pages cause people to leave?

Does my site load fast enough?

After they arrive, what pages do they click on

next?What URLs bring people to my site?

What do they type in the search box?

Find which social

networks provide most engagement

Use Advanced Segments for custom audience groups


Beef Up Site Content• Identify and fill in gaps in content based upon keyword research• Incorporate target search terms throughout Information Architecture• Use hubs of content to organize relevant pages together

Home Page

Hub2

PR Request

s

Contact

News + ArticlesAdvice Teenager

sProduct Review

sAbout

NAV 1 / All

NAV 2/ Filtering

NAV 3

Single Content Pages

Suggested Page

Content HubsAsk a

Q

Photos Videos News

Photo Pages

Video Pages

Detail3

News +

Articles

Co Parentin

g

For Parent

sBooks

Positive Parentin

g

Tips Techniques

Our Writer

s


Utilize Microformats within HTML• Schema.org

• Invented in 2011 by Google, Bing, Yahoo, & Yandex

• Open Graph• Used by Facebook

to extract additional meaning• developers.facebook.com/tools/debug

/

• JSON• JavaScript markup

• RDFa• Markup extension of HTML5

https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/


BE MOBILE FRIENDLY


• 91% of adults own a mobile phone of some sort• 56% of adults own a smartphone• 83% of US smartphone owners use their phone in stores• https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/mobile-se

o/?hl=en

Think.Mobile.First.

https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/mobile-seo/?hl=en

https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/mobile-seo/?hl=en


• Formerly, Google Webmaster Tools; still trends the last 90 days of data • Major Changes:

• Search Analytics• Mobile Friendly Tool• International Targeting

GSC to Find Current Opportunities


RULE #4WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET IN, GET IN.

© 2015 MERKLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

- Oscar Wilde


• Claim brand on appropriate networks• Build conversations on the ones you can manage

• Encourage people to create content for you; you curate it against keyword research

• UGC content doesn’t have to be on-site• Pinterest boards• LinkedIn Groups• Instagram

Build Relationships With Social Networks


• Facebook is not good for reaching quantities of people*

*Unless you pay for it.

• Facebook ad builder guides through targeting options

• Create unique ads to target unique users

• PR Tip: Target by “job role” or “company” to reach journalists

• Use your KWR to find audience on FB and amplify your content

Facebook Advertising Tactics


RULE #5

EARN CITATIONS


• Gain citations and links for your business:

• Guest post• Get quoted• Hold an event

• Use a variety of sources for citations & links:

• OTAs: Yelp, TripAdvisor• News Sources: N&R, WS Journal• Local ‘Zines: Yes!, Rhino Times

• Tools:• Google Search Console• Moz ($)• Majestic ($)

Build Your Brand Beyond Your Website


• Gain citations and links for your business:

• Guest post• Get quoted• Hold an event

• Use a variety of sources for citations & links:

• Yelp, TripAdvisor• N&R, WS Journal• Yes!, Rhino Times

• Tools:• Google Search Console• Moz ($)• Majestic ($)

Build Your Brand Beyond Your Website


• Provides insights into many aspects of any website• Trust, Authority Metrics• Backlink Count & Quality• Social Sharing • Page Status

• Chrome and Firefox Extensions Available, as well as APIs

Moz & the Moz Bar

34© 2014 MERKLE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CONFIDENTIAL

1. Understand how your audience interacts with you at different times

2. Develop content that solves their problems, easily & quickly3. Ensure your content can be accessed at any time, on any device4. Prioritize and build followers on select social networks5. Earn citations and links back to your site on a variety of phrases

It’s a Two Algorithm World – Google & the

User

Thank you


Lauren Polinsky, Associate Director

Data & Analytics

The 2015 SEO "Rule Book" with Lauren Polinsky