RankBrain debuted last year as Google's third most weighted ranking signal and is currently leveraged for obscure long tail queries. However as RankBrain is perfected and refined, it will likely be used on more queries and weighted more heavily, and even displace links and on-page SEO factors as Google’s #1 SEO ranking factor in the distant future: SEO judgement day. This session will reverse engineer how RankBrain actually works, exposing four critical vulnerabilities and share unusual, yet completely white-hat ways to benefit from future Rankbrain updates. The biggest SEO ranking factor shift of all time is underway, moving away from links and keywords towards Rankbrain user engagement signals. Attend this session if you want your rankings to live. Join the resistance today!
11. GOOGLE SEARCH TODAY: HEURISTIC
ALGORITHMS
Not Based on Machine Learning (Yet)
Google Algorithm Change
History
12. • Machine Learning / AI-
Powered
• Checks if the search
results met user
expectations
• Make adjustments to query
& rankings based on the
outcome
Google Search In The
Future:
MACHINE-LEARNING
BASED
33. Long Tail Query
Entered
RankBrain Makes a Guess and Re-Writes
The Query into Something it
Recognizes (Query Interpretation)
Did The
Result
Satisfy
The User?
Great. Next
Time I See
Queries Like
This, I’ll
Put This
Page at the
Top.
Larry’s Greatly Simplified
RankBrain Diagram*
*Note: Not Official Google Diagram. System Doesn’t
Update in Real-Time (yet).
Rats. Next
Time I See a
Query Like
This, I’ll
Try Some
Other Page
35. CTR vs. Organic Search Position
Long Tail vs. Head Terms in
Organic Search:
Higher CTRs
in Top
Positions
Similar CTRs
in Lower
Positions
36. In Paid Search:
CTR vs. Position for Paid Search Ads
Long Tail &
Head Terms
Have the
Similar CTR
at Top
Large
Differences in
CTR of Head Vs.
Long Tail at
Lower Positions
37. POSSIBLE EVIDENCE OF
RANKBRAIN??
WHY?
PAID SEARCH ORGANIC SEARCH
Top Spots
(1–2)
Long-tail and
head terms have
similar CTR
Long-tail and
head terms
have large
differences
in CTR
Lower Spots
(3-7)
Long-tail and
head terms have
large
differences in
CTR
Long-tail and
head terms
have similar
CTR
40. Key Takeaway: ML (in General) Makes
Stuff Increasingly Winner-Take-All.
Larry’s RankBrain Theory: High CTR
Long Tail Rankings Get *Additional*
Bonus Ranking Boost
41. If True, What Should SEOs Do To
Prepare For RankBrain and Other ML-
Enabled Algos?
60. Keyword Headlines Using
Dynamic Keyword Insertion Do
OK, Not Great
Relative
Frequency
Average
CTR
Top 15% Top 5% Top 1%
Relative
CTR
Ads without
DKI
Ads with DKI
61. Keyword-y Headlines Less Likely To
Be UnicornsRelative
Frequency
Top 5%
Ads without
DKI
Ads with DKI
Top 1%
Relative
CTR
64. The Top 9 Emotions
That Make People
Click Like Crazy:
Step 1: Pick One of These
Emotional Triggers
• Laughter
• Amusement
• Curiosity
• Awe
• Anger
• Fear
• Joy
• Empathy
• Sadness
65. Step 2. Write Headline
Copy From Perspective of
One of These Personas
The Bearer
of Bad News
The
Hero/Villai
n
The
Comedian
The Feel
Good Friend
66. 3. Use This Title Template
Commonly Employed By
‘Viral’ Articles
Format
List post, quiz,
Infographic
Emotional
Hook
Emotional word or
superlative
Content Type
Images, quotes, pictures,
facts
Topic
Love, cats, dogs, fitness,
health, Donald Trump
4 AWESOME SEO STRATEGIES TO DEFEAT
RANKBRAIN
74. OK To Target Cheaper Markets
Average Cost Per Click Around
The World
Greater than US Average CPC
Average US CPC
1-20% Less than Average US CP
21-40% Less than
Average US CPC41-60% Less than Average US C
61-80% Less than
Average US CPC>81% Less than Average US CPC
Limited Data
76. • Identify Donkeys (Bottom 10%)
• Write 10 Different Headlines
• Test 10 Ads on AdWords
• Replace Old Headline With Winner
Larry’s Donkey to Unicorn
Converter: Summary
90. Search Conversion Rate Distribution
Median: 2.35%
Top 25%: 5.31% and Above
Top 10%: 11.45%
and Above
SHAREOFALLACCOUNTS
SEARCH CONVERSION RATE. (WordStream Customer Data – Not Official Google Data)
What’s a Good Conversion
Rate?
91. Distribution Point Conversion Rate Vs. Average Comments
AVERAGE 2.35% - DONKEYS
TOP 25% 5.31% 2X AWESOME
TOP 10% 11.45% 5X UNICORNS
Donkeys vs. Unicorns
Unicorns Convert 5x Better Than
Donkeys
100. Larry’s #4 SEO Weapo
FACEBOOK ADS and
Google Display
Network
101. How Advertising REALLY Works
STEP
1:
Promote Inspirational / Memorable Content about Your Brand
to your Target Market
STEP
2:
People See The Ad, But Don’t Necessarily Take Action Right
Away. (But Become Biased)
STEP
3:
Later when the Need Arises,
People either:
Do a Branded
Search for Your
Stuff
Do Un-Branded Search
but Biased Towards
Clicking & Buying
From You.
122. Better CTR & Conversion Rates -> More Clicks
& Conversions.
Improved CTR & CVR -> Better Rankings.
Better Rankings -> Even more clicks and
Virtuous Cycle of
Unicorn Land:
123. Terrible CTR & Engagement Rates -> Less
Clicks, Leads, Sales, etc.
Crappy User Engagement -> Terrible Rankings.
Terrible Rankings -> Even Fewer Clicks &
Sales.
Vs. Death Spiral of
RankBrain and Other ML-
Algos
124. How Advertising REALLY Works
STEP
1:
Promote Inspirational / Memorable Content about Your Brand
to your Target Market
STEP
2:
People See The Ad, But Don’t Necessarily Take Action Right
Away. (But Become Biased)
STEP
3:
Later when the Need Arises,
People either:
Do a Branded
Search for Your
Stuff
Do Un-Branded Search
but Biased Towards
Clicking & Buying
From You.