2019 Organic Search Trends: Search Integrations, Smart Devices & Topic Clusters

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THE SEARCH AGENCY
C H A N G E T H E WAY YO U C O N N E C T

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O U R 2 0 1 9 O R G A N I C S E A R C H T R E N D S W E B I N A R W I L L B E G I N AT
11:00 AM PST
Q U E S T I O N S F O R O U R E X P E R T S ?
J O I N T H E C O N V O O N T W I T T E R W I T H T H E H A S H TA G
#TSATALK

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# T S A T A L K
BRANDON SCHAKOLA
Brandon Schakola is our Senior Director of Earned Media &
Strategy, focused on Technical SEO and SEO Strategy for
direct response and performance-based marketing.
Brandon is passionate about on-SERP SEO optimization,
using Google as his guide to optimize on-site content and
structure to align with searcher intent. He is co -
responsible for the development of our company's
Strategic Framework. Brandon is also entrusted with our
measurement and analytics platforms and customized R
scripts for SEO reporting. He also advises on many beta
programs, including our strategic partnerships with
Searchmetrics.

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WHAT DID THEY SAY? – LET’S REVIEW
G O O G L E ’ S 2 0 Y E A R A N N I V E R S A R Y : A N N O U N C E D 3 S H I F T S
“To help you resume tasks where you left off and learn new interests and hobbies, we’re bringing new features to Search that
help you with ongoing information needs.”
S H I F T F R O M A N S W E R S T O J O U R N E Y S
“We can surface relevant information related to your interests, even when you don’t have a specific query in mind.”
“We’re bringing more visual content to Search and completely redesigning Google Images to help you find information more
easily.”
S H I F T F R O M Q U E R I E S T O Q U E R Y L E S S WAY S O F F I N D I N G
I N F O R M AT I O N
S H I F T F R O M T E X T T O M O R E V I S U A L WAY O F F I N D I N G
I N F O R M AT I O N
https://www.blog.google/products/search/improving-search-next-20-years/

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S E A R C H J O U R N E Y S
ACTIVITY CARDS &
COLLECTIONS
A C T I V I T Y C A R D S :
H e l p s u s e rs p i c k u p s e a rc h e s w h e re t h e y l e f t o f f, b e i n g
a b l e t o re v i s i t a q u e r y re l a t e d t o a t a s k s t a r t e d i n t h e
p a s t , c a rd s d i s p l ay re l e v a n t p a g e s f ro m y o u r h i s t o r y a n d
p re v i o u s q u e r i e s re l a t e d t o a To p i c .
C a rd s a re o n l y s h o w e d w h e n d e e m e d u s e f u l , a n d w o n ’ t
a p p e a r fo r e v e r y s e a rc h .
C O L L E C T I O N S :
T h e a b i l i t y t o a d d c o n te n t t o C o l l e c t i o n s , m a k i n g i t e a s i e r
ke e p t ra c k o f c o n t e n t y o u ’v e v i s i t e d . Yo u c a n a d d c o n t e n t
f ro m a n a c t i v i t y c a rd d i re c t l y t o C o l l e c t i o n s . G o o g l e w i l l
a l s o s u g g e s t c o n t e n t t o h e l p e x p l o re f u r t h e r t o p i c s o r
c o n t e n t y o u ’v e s a v e d a n d t h i n g s y o u ’v e s e a rc h e d fo r.

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TOPIC GRAPH AND GOOGLE DISCOVER
If I am logged in on a mobile device by default,
I have the chance to follow “topics” in
the “topic graph”, which will then
prompt me in the Google “Discover”
feed
Google Discover:
Now surfaces topics
you are following
without having to
“search”
Tabs include different SERP experiences
some with their own set of separate results

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OVERVIEW TAB
Note that some integrations such as the Top Stories integration includes usually 1 to 2 text based results
and a side-scrolling SERP experience
Each integrated URL here has AMP

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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Standard results 1-10
Side-scrolling
SERP integrations

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OVERVIEW TAB:
SIDE SCROLLING
SERP
INTEGRATIONS
There are 7 different side-scrolling
integrations included
This is an additional 59 results crammed into
what used to be 10 blue links

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“MORE PEOPLE”
TAB
Note “People” are recognized by Google as an entity –
driven by semantic markup
The knowledge graph generated from the semantic
markup and the topic graph adds a layer for the 3 topic
areas:
Hesiman Trophy Winners, Cleveland Brown rosters, etc.
SERPs to the right are below the fold,
but contain sites with deep authority,
long-form content, including structured data
These SERPs are radically different than what would
appear for a generic name search – here Google is
crossing entity search, and topical search

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# T S A T A L K
Gregory Sidor is an Associate Director of Earned Media at
The Search Agency.
He began his digital media career as a content editor at
the Los Angeles Daily News, then spent several years on
the editorial team at Myspace. He headed to Disney
Interactive Media Group next, helping to develop content
and optimize pages for search. He’s worked on a wide
variety of clients at The Search Agency, including leaders
in finance, ecommerce, real estate, and technology.
Gregory is particularly interested in optimizing for
Google’s Knowledge Graph, winning Featured Snippets,
and helping clients develop practical and effective content
strategies.
GREGORY SIDOR

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S E A R C H I N T E G R A T I O N S

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KIND OF A BIG DEAL

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SEARCH INTEGRATIONS
“ 2 0 1 9 D O D G E C H A L L E N G E R ”
Mobile SERP is loaded with integrations
Third-party sites can rank in the reviews or
“NEWS” tab
Each tab changes the SERP
Let’s keep scrolling down…

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SEARCH INTEGRATIONS

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SEARCH INTEGRATIONS

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COMPETITION & OPPORTUNITIES

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COMPETITION & OPPORTUNITIES

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SEO STRATEGY
Brands need to consider what content is most useful for customers all
along the purchase path. For goods or services this could include:
• AMP articles
• Instructional videos
• Images
• Maps integration
• Google My Business profile
• Off-site strategy (reviews by publications/blogs)
Concentrating solely on the 10 blue links will bring diminishing returns as
they’re crowded out by search integrations

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BE PRACTICAL
SEO-savvy law firms

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NOW IT GETS COMPLICATED
1. Mobile and desktop results often vary
2. Personalization/localization affects what people see
3. SERP features for the same query can change from day to day

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R I S E O F T H E D E V I C E S

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RISE OF THE
DEVICES
People are interacting with search in new ways, relying on
smart devices and digital assistants to answer questions
and accomplish tasks
• 66.4 million adults own smart speakers in the U.S.
• 40% growth over 2018
Source: Voicebot Smart Speaker Consumer Adoption Report, Jan. 2019

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WHY IT MATTERS TO BUSINESSES
• FEWER RANKING OPPORTUNITIES
Goodbye, 10 blue links
One answer to rule them all
• CHANGING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
Instant answers
Up-to-the-minute information, including inventory,
directions, etc.
• NEW TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS
“Alexa, buy this product”
“Make reservations”

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HOW TO GET NOTICED
Successful execution is a marriage of content and technology
Best-in-class sites display
content to users in 3 seconds or
less
R E L E VA N T
C O N T E N T
Schema can be especially useful
for helping Google understand
your website
S K I L L S
& A C T I O N S
Address visitor questions and
concerns. Format HTML
according to SEO best practices
S I T E S P E E D
Incorporate relevant actions for
devices
S T R U C T U R E D
D ATA

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BE THE BEST ANSWER
R E L E V A N T C O N T E N T
Make sure you’re addressing
the concerns of motivated
prospects all along the
Consumer Decision Journey

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ALEXA SKILLS
S K I L L S & A C T I O N S
Developers can build skills for users to interact with you using
an Alexa-compatible device
Current third-party use-cases include:
• Checking stock prices (TD Ameritrade)
• Ordering pizza (Domino’s & Pizza Hut)
• Ordering coffee (Starbucks)
• Airfare estimates (Kayak)
Sources: Amazon, CNET

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Developers can build skills so users can interact with you
using Google Assistant and Google Home
Current third-party use-cases include:
• Search for car insurance (Starbutter AI)
• Ordering coffee (Starbucks)
• Shop for clothes (Kohl’s)
• Ordering flowers (1800flowers)
• Listening to dad jokes (OloG)
Source: Google
ACTIONS ON GOOGLE
S K I L L S & A C T I O N S

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BE THE FIRST TO ANSWER
▪ Time is of the essence
▪ Google (and customers) don’t want to wait for your
“page” to load
▪ Slow and steady loses the race
Buffering…
Buffering…
Almost there…
S I T E S P E E D

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SPEAK THEIR
LANGUAGE
S T R U C T U R E D D A T A
Google has encouraged websites to apply
structured data to product pages
These elements are easily understood by search
bots, and AI will get better at translating data
into coherent answers/actions

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HOW TO GET NOTICED
Successful execution is a marriage of tech & content
Best-in-class sites display
content to users in 3 seconds or
less
R E L E VA N T
C O N T E N T
Schema can be especially useful
for helping Google understand
your website
S K I L L S
& A C T I O N S
Address visitor questions and
concerns. Format HTML
according to SEO best practices
S I T E S P E E D
Incorporate relevant actions for
devices
S T R U C T U R E D
D ATA

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# T S A T A L K
AMANDA HAXTON
Amanda Haxton is a Manager of Earned Media
at The Search Agency.
Amanda has spent 10 years in the digital
content space in SEO, content marketing and
social media. Amanda’s experience spans
across both hands-on editor roles and
strategic consulting for some of the world’s
most well-known brands. At The Search
Agency, Amanda is responsible for planning
and implementing SEO and organic audience-
generation strategies for clients across a
range of industry verticals.

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T O P I C A L C O N T E N T C L U S T E R S :
W H A T A R E T H E Y &
H O W C A N T H E Y D R I V E T R A F F I C

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T O P I C A L C O N T E N T C L U S T E R S
CREATING TOPIC CLUSTERS
WHAT?
Topic clustering is a strategy for organizing and architecting your content into a group
‘cluster’ structure, instead of planning pages or blogs individually.
WHY?
Clustering has been rising in popularity as Google’s algorithm has shifted to favor topic
based content.

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LINKING CONTENT CLUSTERS
2
22
2
2
2
2
2
1
Relevant
article/
content on
external site
= Internal links using relevant
anchor text
= External links using relevant
anchor text
1 = Pillar page
2 = Cluster Articles
K E Y:

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SEO & UX
The Ultimate
Guide To On-
Page SEO
Relevant article/
content on
external site = Internal links using relevant
anchor text
= External links using relevant
anchor text
1 = Pillar page
2 = Cluster Articles
K E Y:
Keyword
Research
On-page V.s.
Off-page SEO
Anchor Text
HTML Tags
Internal
Linking
Content
Site
Performance

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WHAT DOES A
CONTENT
CLUSTER LOOK
LIKE IN THE
WILD?
THE ATLANTIC:
POPULATION
HEALTHIER

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PILLAR PAGES & CLUSTER PAGES
P I L L A R PA G E S C LU S T E R PA G E S
Act as the main content hub for a overarching
topic
Cover a topic broadly, touching on sub-topics
without much detail
Target broad, high volume head terms for a
broader topic
Relate to the broader topic but cover a specific sub-
topic in-depth
Link back to the pillar page and to other pages in the
cluster

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T A C T I C S T O L E A V E
B E H I N D I N 2 0 1 9

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KEYWORD STUFFING
WHAT?
Keyword stuffing is an outdated SEO technique designed to
manipulate search engines by creating spammy content solely
focused on keywords instead of quality content.
WHY LEAVE IT BEHIND?
Keyword stuffing creates a poor user experience and low
quality content. Although it can see some short term gains,
keyword stuffing is now considered a ‘black hat’ tactic and
could lead to ranking drops or penalties.
REPLACE IT WITH
High quality content, responsible keyword optimization, LSI
keywords and topical relevance.
T A C T I C S T O L E A V E B E H I N D I N 2 0 1 9

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OVER-OPTIMIZED ALT TEXT
WHAT?
Stuffing your alt text with inappropriate keywords or other
irrelevant information is another outdated tactic that can be
harmful in 2019.
The purpose of alt text is to enable a screen reader or other
assistive technology to describe the image’s content and
meaning. In 2018 the number of lawsuits over compliance
with the American disabilities act (ADA) spiked against
companies with inaccessible websites.
REPLACE IT WITH
Accurate and relevant alt text descriptions which support a
relevant, rich content on a topic.

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RELYING ON BUYING LINKS
WHAT?
A strategy that over relies on link building and buying links as
the be-all end-all of your SEO strategy.
Buying or selling links is a clear violation of
Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and will result in a penalty if
you’re caught.
REPLACE IT WITH
Links are still important, but they should be part of a more
holistic SEO strategy that provides quality content and a
positive user experience.

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CONTENT QUANTITY OVER QUALITY
WHAT?
A content strategy that relies on quantity over quality.
This strategy strains resources and often leaves you with a
large number of low quality and underperforming pieces of
content.
REPLACE IT WITH
Focus on quality over quantity!

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SUBDOMAINS & SEPARATE DOMAINS
WHAT?
A strategy of creating multiple subdomains and separate
domains to try and dominate SERPs by ranking with multiple
domains. This has been successful for many sites, such as
Zillow and Trulia.
Using multiple domains runs the risk of splitting and
cannibalizing link equity and resources.
REPLACE IT WITH
Subfolder hosted content. Focus on raising overall rankings
instead of dominating the results for a handful of keywords.

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AGENCY HISTORY
O U R S T O R Y
Established in 2002 at the infancy of search engine marketing to help marketers address
the disruptive impact of search engines on the buyer-seller relationship.
The Search Agency has become one of the largest independent and integrated digital
marketing firms, with services to support the multi-channel marketing goals of our
clients.
Recognized as one of the largest independent search marketing agency by Advertising
Age and a top 300 company in North America for growth on Deloitte’s Technology Fast
500™.
The privately held agency has grown to 200+ employees with headquarters in Los
Angeles, CA. and offices around the world. Although we’ve significantly grown the
number of employees, offices, and clients, our fundamental approach has not changed.
The Search Agency is committed to continuously improving technology and services to
ensure we deliver measurable results to our clients in an increasingly competitive and
evolving digital landscape.
>300M
ANNUAL SPEND
92%
CUSTOMER
RETENTION
+6
OFFICES
200
EMPLOYEES

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TRUSTED BY
GREAT
COMPANIES
AROUND THE
GLOBE
T H E S E A R C H A G E N C Y
The Search Agency partners with many clients from a
diverse range of B2C and B2B companies with national and
international footprints.

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THE SEARCH AGENCY
C H A N G E T H E WAY YO U C O N N E C T

2019 Organic Search Trends: Search Integrations, Smart Devices & Topic Clusters

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