This document discusses strategies for SEO success in the future as machine learning and algorithms like RankBrain play a larger role. It outlines four key strategies: 1. Use a "CTR Donkey Detector" tool to analyze click-through rates and optimize weak performing pages. 2. Employ tactics like emotional headlines and persona-based writing to turn "donkey" pages with low CTR into "unicorns" with high CTR. 3. Analyze engagement metrics like bounce rates and time on site to improve underperforming pages. 4. Use Facebook ads and Google Display Network ads to build brand awareness and affinity before and after users search online, which can positively influence organic search results.

1. HACKING RANKBRAIN:
The 4 SEO Strategies You’ll Need to Survive
SEO Judgment Day

5. AN AVERAGE DAY IN
THE NOT TOO FAR OFF
FUTURE…
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6. BOOM!
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7. SEO JUDGEMENT DAY:
Google Core Search
Algorithms All Based on
Machine Learning
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8. MILLIONS OF WEBSITES
IMPACTED
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9. #SEJSummit

10. JOHN CONNOR,
Leader of the SEO
Rebellion in 2020.
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11. WHAT IS MACHINE
LEARNING?
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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
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13. Certain Search Verticals
Like Porn?

14. Google AdWords Entirely
Based on Machine Learning
for Ad Targeting
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15. Machine Learning Systems
Pretty Much EVERYWHERE
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16. Core Algo Changing?
Validation Signals?
WHO CARES! GET IN!
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17. if
You Want
Your
Website
Rankings
To Live
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18. Three Random
Facts ABOUT ME
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19. 1. Expert Drone Pilot
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20. 2. STUDIED ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FOR 5
YEARS
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21. 3. Built Suite of Long Tail Keyword
Research Tools
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22. What is RankBrain??
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23. Google: “RankBrain Used on Long
Tail Queries” ... “Query
Interpretation ... That Changes
Rank”
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24. User 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
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25. Searching For
RANKBRAIN
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26. Organic Search Ranking
What’s A Good Click Through Rate
for Organic Search? (Spoiler
Alert: It’s in Flux)OrganicSearchClickThroughRate CTRs
Trending
Higher in
Top
Positions
CTRs
Trending
Lower in
Lower
Positions
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27. +/- 3%
Increase in
Post
Engagement
+/- 1 Spot in
Organic
Position
RankBrain Rewards &
Penalties?
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28. A Simple CTR
Optimization Example
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29. Behold The Power of CTR
Optimization
WHAT?
Page Title CTR Rank
Guerrilla Marketing: 20+ Examples &
Strategies to Stand Out
1% 8
20+ Jaw-Dropping Guerrilla Marketing
Examples
4.19% 5
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30. Massive SEO Traffic
Impact!
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31. 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
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32. If True, What Should SEOs Do To
Prepare For RankBrain and Other ML-
Enabled Algos?
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33. They’re Not Going To Tell
You Everything…
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34. He’s Delusional. Do Nothing.
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35. We Need To
Crush More
Auditions.
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36. New ML-Algos
Tougher Than
Previous Ones…
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37. Four SEO Weapons to
Survive SEO
Judgement Day
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38. LARRY’S #1 SEO WEAPON
The CTR
Donkey Detector!
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39. WHAT’S MY ORGANIC
CTR?
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40. DOWNLOAD THIS QUERY DATA
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41. What’s a Good Click Through
Rate?
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42. CTR Study (2014) by. Philip Petrescu
for Moz.
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43. SERP Differs
Greatly By
Industry
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44. Use Your Own Data To Plot The Average CTR
for YOUR Industry!
Unicorns
Donkeys
CTR vs. Average Position
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45. DONKEYS VS.
UNICORNS.
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46. Unicorns are Up To 6x Better
Than Donkeys.
Avg. CTR
Donkey CTRs (Bottom 10%) = 3x Worse Than Avg.
Unicorn CTRs (Top 10%) = +2x Better Avg.
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47. DONKEYS DETECTED.
How to Convert to Unicorn??
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48. Larry’s #2 SEO Weapon:
DONKEY TO UNICORN
CONVERTER
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49. These SEO
Title Tags
All Suck:
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50. “SEO”
Headlines are
Like Dynamic
Keyword
Insertion
(DKI) for PPC
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51. 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
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52. Keyword-y Headlines Less Likely To
Be UnicornsRelative
Frequency
Top 5%
Ads without
DKI
Ads with DKI
Top 1%
Relative
CTR
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53. Larry’s Unicorn
Research Lab
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54. Leverage Emotional Triggers
I Know Now Why You Cry…
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55. 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
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56. 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
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57. 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
5 AWESOME SEO STRATEGIES TO DEFEAT
RANKBRAIN
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58. Unicorn Headlines = Top
10%
Odds of Finding Unicorn =
1:10
So Test 10 Different
Headlines
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59. Quiz: How Many Headlines Do You
See Here?
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60. It’s the Same Headline with
Different Capitalization,
Punctuation
Are We Learning Yet??
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61. You Need 10 *Different*
Headlines!
How to Spot the Unicorn?
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62. Use AdWords to Test
Headlines
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63. • 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
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64. The Same Emotions
That Make People to
Share Things Cause
High CTR.
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65. elative Search CTR vs. Facebook Post Engagement Rat
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66. We’ve Got RankBrain By The
Balls
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67. They Have a Back-Up
System…
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68. We’ve Got Rankbrain By The
Balls
Seems to Have a Back-Up
System…
We’re Gonna Need Bigger
Guns..
#SEJSummit

69. LARRY’S #3 SEO WEAPON
Engagement Rate Unicorn/Donkey
Detector
#SEJSummit

70. Bounce Rate vs. Organic
Position
Pass:
Bounce
Rate Low
Enough
Fail:
Bounce
Rate Too
High
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71. We Know Google Measures Dwell
Time
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72. “Back” On Mobile Triggers “People
Also Search For”
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73. Time on Site vs. Organic
Position
PASS: Good
Enough
Time On
Site
Fail: Time
on Site
not Good
Enough
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74. Key Takeaway: “Task
Completion Rates” Used
To Validate CTR
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75. Engagement Rate Donkey
Detector

76. 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?
#SEJSummit

77. How to Turn
Conversion Rate
Donkeys into
Unicorns?
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78. Wait.. Advertising Impacts
Organic CTR and Conversion
Rates??
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79. Brand Affinity DRAMATICALLY Impacts
CONVERSION RATES (+2-3x!)
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80. Brand Affinity DRAMATICALLY Impacts CTR (+2-3x!)
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81. Larry’s #4 SEO Weapo
FACEBOOK ADS and
Google Display
Network
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82. Time Travel to Past:
Before Users Do Searches
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83. Interests Targeting
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84. Demographic Targeting
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85. Custom Affinity Audiences in
Google Display Network
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86. Time Travel to FUTURE:
Ensure Subsequent Searches
Go Your Way
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87. RankBrain
Terminated
Now What?
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88. Mission
Complet
e
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89. What Does it All Mean?
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90. Old SEO Tactics Clearly Don’t
Work Anymore
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91. Don’t Just Wait for RankBrain
& ML-Algos.
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92. Better CTR & Conversion Rates -> More Clicks
& Conversions.
Improved CTR & CVR -> Better Rankings.
Better Rankings -> Even more clicks and
Virtuous Cycle of
Unicorn Land:

93. 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
#SEJSummit

94. How Marketing 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.
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95. Be a Unicorn in a Sea of
Donkeys
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96. Thank You, SEJ Summit!
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