10 years ago keyword stuffing and link volume were sure ways to the top of Google, but in recent years we’ve seen these and many other over optimized tactics bring down sites both big and small. In the current reality of “optimization” potentially hurting your SEO, how can search marketers communicate that reality to stakeholders, customers, peers and colleagues and how can brands both big and small avoid Google’s ire and grow their search traffic? SEO veteran Grant Simmons addresses these challenges every day as he helms the search marketing efforts of Homes.com--one of the largest real-estate portals in the country. Given his somewhat unorthodox stand of ‘the future of search is unoptimized’, Grant has developed a few principles of UnOptimization-- how to understand user intent, think like a search engine, and provide SEO at (un)scale to gain visibility in search results. Specifically, Grant is going to cover the following UnOptimization principles: Why keywords are dead and how to (un)research them How to (un)scale your content to satisfy users What you need to know about link (un)building How to communicate and justify an (un)strategy

1. Keywords are Dead
and other
UnOptimization Truths

2. Grant Simmons
VP of Search Marketing

3. @simmonet
#UnOpt

4. • 100+ million pages
• 20+ million visitors / month
• Limited resources
Question:
Could “traditional” SEO work?
Or would we just be tweaking
title tags all day?

5. It’s all
about me
me me!
“Traditional” Search Engine Optimization
• Ensure crawlability / speed <- No brainer
• Automate content creation
– Scale through templates
• Write a few blog posts
• Paid link building
About making the site
perfectly optimized for
Search Engines

6. NOT an act, process, or methodology of making
something (as a design, system, or decision) as
fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible;
noun ˌən-äp-tə-mə-ˈzā-shən
un·op·ti·mi·za·tion

7. Optimization
is Easy
@simmonet

8. @simmonet
Optimization is a

9. Matt Says So…
@simmonet
Guest blogging
Advertorials
Ghost networks
Paid links
Pay-per-post
Exact match domains
Rich-anchor text links
… and more

11. Do UnOptimization…
…Make Google Happy!
@simmonet

13. UnOptimization is Authentic
4 Truths of UnOptimization
• Keyword (un)research
• Content (un)scale
• Link (un)building
• Justification of (un)strategy
@simmonet

14. UnOptimization is Authentic
4 Truths of UnOptimization
• Keyword (un)research
• Content (un)scale
• Link (un)building
• Justification of (un)strategy
@simmonet

15. Keyword (un)research
Queries / Topics
not Keywords
@simmonet

17. Evolution of Keyword Usage
Lots of pages
One keyword per page
Link sculpting
Rich anchor text
One page
One or more keywords
High keyword density
Rich anchor text
One page / one topic
Relevant links to
Relevant pages
Diverse anchor text

18. Evolution of Keyword Usage
Lots of pages
One keyword per page
Link sculpting
Rich anchor text
One page
One or more keywords
High keyword density
Rich anchor text
One page / one topic
Relevant links to
Relevant pages
Diverse anchor text

19. Evolution of Keyword Usage
Lots of pages
One keyword per page
Link sculpting
Rich anchor text
One page
One or more keywords
High keyword density
Rich anchor text
One page / one topic
Relevant links to
Relevant pages
Diverse anchor text

20. (un)research: Query / Topic Research

21. (un)research: Query / Topic Research
• User satisfaction drives content
• Structure pages as A(s) to topic Q(s)
–Be smart about expectations
–Use media where appropriate
• “Keyword” research becomes:
–Methodology for query / topic discovery
–Identification of solution ‘gaps’
–Organization of relevant / related (sub)topics

22. (un)research:
All about…

23. (un)research
3 R’s
• Resource
• Relevance
• Relationship
Answer
the query!

24. Intent to Content
With an understanding of
user context!
Who, what, where, why
and when…
Context is King!

25. UnOptimization is Authentic
4 Truths of UnOptimization
• Keyword (un)research
• Content (un)scale
• Link (un)building
• Justification of (un)strategy
@simmonet

26. UnOptimization
Content is Like…
@simmonet

27. …cats to a cat lady
@simmonet

28. Content (un)scale
More is Not Better!
@simmonet

29. Quality over Quantity

30. @simmonet
Quality as Ranking Factor

31. Quality cannot scale
easily or cheaply

32. Of Content Quality

33. Quality Content Assessment
• SERP behavior (CTR / query modification)
• User engagement (site metrics)
• Site layout (ads / content placement)
• Social signals (social discovery)
• Link signals (velocity / authority)
• Content itself (uniqueness / readability)
• Authority signals (expertise / topics)
Examples… not everything!

34. Scale & Focus Authority
Find / Grow Experts on Relevant Topics
• Blogs
• Customers
• Employees
• Partners
@simmonet

35. Content Manta

36. UnOptimization is Authentic
4 Truths of UnOptimization
• Keyword (un)research
• Content (un)scale
• Link (un)building
• Justification of (un)strategy
@simmonet
“Think beyond the link”

37. Link (un)building
Think Like Google
@simmonet

38. Link (un)building
I preach the Gospel of Google
• Link earning
• Be worthy
Plus
• Be passionate
• Be focused
• Be creative
@simmonet
of a link!

40. Quality over Quantity

41. Creativity for link (un)building
• Ideation sessions (invite everyone!)
• Ask customers (test on social)
• Ask audience… but first…
@simmonet
KNOW THY AUDIENCE

42. http://gapingvoid.com/2014/09/15/creativity-at-scale/

43. Link (un)building
“There are no bad ideas”
@simmonet

44. Link (un)building
“There are no bad ideas”
(there are ideas that don’t work)
@simmonet

45. Random: dog licking teddy bear
Link worthy!

46. UnOptimization is Authentic
4 Truths of UnOptimization
• Keyword (un)research
• Content (un)scale
• Link (un)building
• Justification of (un)strategy
@simmonet

47. Your
Boss?

48. Justification of (un)strategy
It’s all about the user
@simmonet

49. Not right vs. wrong

50. Different viewpoints

52. Kumbaya Strategy
• It’s not about search engines
• No longer “Search Engine Optimization”
• Now cohesive strategy around the user:
–Personas + Behavior
–Wants, needs, queries
–Cross department collaboration
@simmonet

53. “Tear Down Those Walls”

54. Google on User-Centricity
“ You don't have to be brilliant or
the most creative, just being
human and using a customer-
centered approach can take a
business to the top. ”
Maile Oyhe ~ Google
May 2015

55. You Can’t Optimize Users

56. You Can’t Optimize Users
But you can UnOptimize for Them!

57. You Can’t Optimize Users
Power to the user!

58. Justification of (un)strategy
Most importantly…
@simmonet

59. Justification of (un)strategy
…Keep Google Happy!
@simmonet

60. Thank You

61. Questions?

62. Keywords are Dead
and other
UnOptimization Truths

63. End of Presentation