What are the major tactics for SEO in 2017? Lee walks you through them in the context of the dark side/light side of the industry.

1. SEO in 2017
Lee Kennedy, Analytics Director
Coalmarch Productions

2. Lee Kennedy, Analytics Director
Coalmarch Productions
SEO in 2017

3. Lee Kennedy, Analytics Director
Coalmarch Productions
SEO in 2017

4. SEO =

5. SEO =
“...increasing the quantity and quality of
traffic to your website…”
https://moz.com/learn/seo/what-is-seo

6. SEO =
1. Traffic from Google
2. Not AdWords

7. SEO =
1. Increase rankings for existing searches
2. Find new searches to rank for

8. But how?

9. Google’s goal: quality results

10. Google’s “Webmaster Guidelines”

11. A variety of tactics can be used...

12. A variety of tactics can be used...

13. The “black hats” The “white hats”
A variety of tactics can be used...

14. The “black hats” The “white hats”
A variety of tactics can be used...
Who has had a negative experience with SEO?

15. The “black hats” The “white hats”
A variety of tactics can be used...
Who has had a negative experience with SEO?

16. What are the rules?

17. Let’s focus on two major factors
1. Keywords
2.Links

18. We’ll cover each in three parts
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

19. #1: Keywords!

20. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

21. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

22. Keywords have always been a factor
If someone searches for
“lawn aeration St. Louis”
It makes sense that the page should include those words.

23. This is good for Google & searchers

24. For Google: “This website will be a
quality result.”
This is good for Google & searchers

25. For Google: “This website will be a
quality result.”
For searchers: “This website has
what I’m looking for.”
This is good for Google & searchers

26. Where do we add keywords?

27. Keywords should be in four places

28. Keywords should be in four places
The first two you may recognize:

29. Keywords should be in four places
The first two you may recognize:
1. The headlines on the page
2. The content on the page
#1
#2

30. Keywords should be in four places
The second two are less obvious:
1. The headlines on the page
2. The content on the page
3. The URL of the page
4. The Title of the page
#2
#1
#3
#4

31. Keywords should be in four places
The second two are less obvious:
1. The headlines on the page
2. The content on the page
3. The Title of the page
4. The URL of the page
#3
#2
#1
#4

32. Where exactly? How often?

33. A variety of tactics can be used...

34. A variety of tactics can be used...
Built for search engines Built for humans

35. A variety of tactics can be used...
Built for search engines Built for humans

36. A variety of tactics can be used...
Built for search engines Built for humans

37. A variety of tactics can be used...
“Keyword stuffing” Built for humans

38. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

39. Changes in Google
There are changes every day.
Our job is to research & determine
what is important vs not.

40. Webspam team battled

41. Webspam team battled

42. “Florida” update in 2003

43. Put an end to “keyword stuffing”

44. “Hummingbird” in 2013

45. Better understanding of “intent”

46. “Closest place to buy the iPhone 8?”

47. Place: Brick-and-mortar store
iPhone 8: A smartphone by Apple
Closest: Near me (uses GPS)
“Closest place to buy the iPhone 8?”

48. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

49. Write content for humans
1. Include keywords
2. Also related topics and benefits
3. “Markup” your content if possible

50. “Markup” = code in your content
1. Coding language agreed upon by
Google, Bing, etc.
2. Used to translate words into
things

51. “Markup” = code in your content
Triangle Pest Control
(919) 552-1548

52. “Markup” = code in your content
<code: Markup = Company/Phone>
Triangle Pest Control
(919) 552-1548
</code>

53. “Call a pest company near me”
You no longer need to write
“Call Triangle Pest Control”
on the website.

54. “Markup” = code in your content
Examples:
1. Company, Address, Phone
2. Services, Pricing

55. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

56. #1: Keywords
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

57. #2: Links!

58. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

59. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

60. Before Google, links were not a factor

61. Why are links important?

62. As graduate students at Stanford,
they were very familiar with
research papers.
Why are links important?

63. More citations = better paper
Why are links important?

64. More citations = better paper
More links = better website
Why are links important?

65. “Anchor text” was very valuable

66. “Anchor text” was very valuable
“Anchor text” =
The actual text that is linked

67. “Anchor text” was very valuable
”Click here to view this website.”

68. “Anchor text” was very valuable
”Click here to view this website.”
“Check out this amazing hotel in
the mountains where we stayed
over the weekend."

69. A variety of tactics can be used...

70. Looks unnatural Looks natural
A variety of tactics can be used...

71. A variety of tactics can be used...
Looks unnatural Looks natural

73. A variety of tactics can be used...
Unnatural (anchor text) Looks natural

75. A variety of tactics can be used...
Looks naturalUnnatural (speed)

77. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

78. Webspam team battled

79. “Penguin” update in 2012

80. “Penguin” update in 2012

81. Low-value links may hurt rankings

82. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

83. Your bad links are important too

84. Your bad links are important too
Spend time getting good links, but
also spend time removing bad links.

85. Watch how you’re linking
Link building get penalized
Linking sites can also get penalized

86. Websites are hesitant to give links
“You wrote about lawn care! Link?”

87. Websites are hesitant to give links
“You wrote about lawn care! Link?”
“Here is an in-depth article I wrote.
Would this be helpful to you?”

88. Differentiators are more valuable
Why should NPMA.org write an
article about me?

89. Differentiators are more valuable
Why should Entrepreneur.com
write an article about me?

90. Differentiators are more valuable
Why should Entrepreneur.com
write an article about me?

91. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

92. #2: Links
1. History
2.Changes in Google
3.Current tactics

93. There are two sides.
Possible penalties
Faster results
Slower
Long term resultsPROS
CONS

94. There are two sides.
Possible penalties
Faster results
Slower
Long term resultsPROS
CONS
650 days 950 days

95. SEO in 2017
Lee Kennedy, Analytics Director
Coalmarch Productions
lee@coalmarch.com
linkedin.com/in/leelkennedy
@leelkennedy