Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz
| @randfish | rand@moz.com Why We Can’t Do SEO Without CRO Shifts in Google’s rankings & searcher behavior have changed how SEOs must apply CRO

Bit.ly/seocro2017

SEO Historically

Measured by: Traffic Driven

Measured by: Rankings Achieved Via
Moz Pro

Improved by: Boosting Accessibility Via
Moz Pro

Improved by: Optimizing Keywords Via
Moz Pro

Improved by: Acquiring Links Via
Moz Pro

Improved by: Upgrading Visibility

What Changed?

Google Evolved
Via Avinash
Kaushik

Solving the Searcher’s Query Became
Google’s Ultimate Search Quality Metric

Engagement Emerged as a Ranking
Signal Google’s Search Quality team is always asking the same question: Are searchers satisfied by this? How do they get the answer?... Aggregate Behavioral Data

Do searchers, on average, click
the results we rank highly more than the results we rank lower? 35% of clicks 19% of clicks 11% of clicks All Good!

Do many searchers click on
nothing at all, and instead change their query, or choose a “related search?” If it’s these, maybe we show more results for where sour beer is available.

Do searchers, on average, “short-
click” some results, while “long- clicking” others? If clicks on Wikipedia result in a quick bounce back to the SERP While SeattleMag gets high engagement w/ few bounces… Google may swap their rankings

Not Sure You Should Believe
Me? Here’s Google Search Engineer Paul Haahr: Via Paul Haahr

A brief aside… What’s up
Brad? You sure that’s the best possible name for your real estate agency?

Google’s Also Shifted from Prioritizing
Good Results to The Fastest Answer

This is all about speed
– predicting my next search query w/ more accuracy based on my prior one.

Powerful Query-Interpretation Processes Now Help
Google Sort Out Which Signals toApply Via Rankbrain Unleashed

And Content Analysis Algorithms Have
Grown Vastly More Sophisticated Via Google Research’s SyntaxNet Announcement

An Emerging SEO Priority: Searcher
Task Accomplishment

Can the Searcher Quickly, Comprehensively
Solve Their Problem via this SERP?

Do the Top Results Take
Them All the Way Through Their Issue? Thinking about writing a book… Financial expectations Odds of getting a publisher Self-publishing vs. traditional Finding an agent Choosing a publisher Tips by genre Book marketingThe pitch

Google’s Goal: Find Signals &Algos
that Reward Pages Optimized for TaskAccomplishment IMO, this page (#12) does the best job of solving the searcher’s problem

SEO’s Goal: Align the Business’&
Searcher’s Objectives, then Optimize Jane’s “next steps” perfectly align (& balance) the searcher’s needs w/ her content, products, & services

The CRO Process for Searcher
Task Accomplishment

Via Conversion Rate Experts

We want to replicate this
process, but apply it to the “conversion” of searcher task accomplishment what searchers are seeking. searchers come away unsatisfied.

STEP 1: Establish Your Primary
KW Target Via Keyword Explorer

STEP 2: Expand w/ Related
KWs that Share the Same Searcher Intent

STEP 3:Add In KWs w/
Slightly Expanded Intent The grouping features in KW research tools can be useful for ID’ing unique searcher intents

STEP 4: Visit the Competition
– What Tasks Are They Helping Searchers Solve? Amazon-specific process info Self-publishing tips How to write a best-seller Process to find a literary agent

STEP 5: Survey a Small
Group Sample survey here

STEP 6: Curate Your List
of Searcher Expectations

STEP7: Create the Content to
Match Each Need, & Use a Layout that MakesAccessing Each Element Easy VS.

STEP 8:Apply the On-Page SEO
Checklist Createtrust&engagementthroughUI,UX,&branding EmployKWsintelligently(title,headline,content,URL,img,etc) OptimizeyoursnippettoearnthehighestpossibleCTR Deliveruniquevaluebeyondwhatothersitescanoffer Craftcontentthatfulfillsthesearcher’sprimarygoals Speed,speed,andmorespeed Avoidelementsthatdissuadevisitors Userelatedtopicstoboostrelevancy&rankingpotential Via On-Page SEO

STEP 9: Usability Test Your
Page Like a Product Via UsabilityHub’s “Question Test” Surveys

STEP 10: Launch, Learn, &
Iterate Via Sprint from Jake Knapp & Google Ventures

SEO+CRO Isn’t Just
Task Accomplishment…

CRO Can Help You StayAhead
of Your Competitors’SEO Invesments If ShipYourEnemiesGlitter.com has a higher conversion rate, they can re-invest more budget in SEO, and eventually overtake RuinDays.com

Traditional CROAlso Matters Because It’s
How Execs Decide Where to Put Budget

Yes. There’s Conflict Between *Who*
Gets the Conversion

Conversion Rates & Searcher Satisfaction
Are Sometimes in Direct Opposition

AHigher Conversion Rate w/ Worse
Searcher Satisfaction May Yield Lower Organic Traffic

But… There’s a Win/Win

Helping Users First Often Leads
to Better Long-Term ROI Searcher Satisfaction Trust & Loyalty Return Visits Stronger Long-Term Conversions

Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz
| @randfish | rand@moz.com Bit.ly/seocro2017