My presentation from the BrightEdge 2014 Share conference about tactics and strategies for Navigating Secure (SSL) Search for SEO since Google removed most keyword visibility from moving towards secure search via HTTPS.

1. Red Door Interactive
Jordan Kasteler, Senior SEO Manager

2. The Move to Secure Search

3. Agenda
About Me & Red Door Interactive
Google’s Move to Secure Search
How SEOs Have Adjusted
Methods, Strategies & Tool Solutions
Recap

4. About Me & Red Door Interactive
 SEO since 2001
 Author: A to Z: Social Media Marketing
 Columnist at Marketing Land and others
 International Speaker
 Masters in Communication
@JordanKasteler
 Founded in 2002
 Full Service Marketing & Advertising Agency
 Offices in San Diego, Carlsbad, and Denver
 Core Values:
 Inspire
 Share
 Evolve
 Exceed
 100% Jerk-Free

5. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler
• Thin & Low Quality Content
• Long-Tail Keyword Abuse
• “What Should I Do if I Drop my
Cell Phone in the Water?”
• “What Should I Do if I Drop my
iPhone in the Water?”
• Why is water wet?
• What makes water wet?
• How water makes things wet.
Feb 2011

6. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler

7. Google’s Move to Secure Search
 Intent vs Keywords
 15% of daily keywords haven’t been seen before
 What users mean versus what they say.
 Content that people are interested in and serves a need. Not content
formulated around keywords.
@JordanKasteler
“People communicate with each other by conversation, not by typing
keywords — and we’ve been hard at work to make Google understand and
answer your questions more like people do.”
– Amit Singhal, Head of Google Search
August 2013

8. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler
Sept 2013

9. Google’s Move to Secure Search
@JordanKasteler
Why is Google encrypting searches?
 Provides users with increased security as search becomes more
customizable.
 Sets and continues to follow industry standards for security.
 Industry professional speculation: Pushes marketers to rely more on
Google PPC for search optimization.
 Think about keywords less and intent more.

10. How SEOs Have Adjusted
 Persona Development
 Site Search
 Landing Page Traffic & Engagement Analysis
@JordanKasteler
 Performance by device type, browser, OS, geography, demographic, interests
 Conversion Optimization and Analysis (not always a website issue)
 Grouping Keyword Buckets & Ranking Monitoring By:
 Keyword Size: (Head, Torso, Longtail)
 Topic
 Buying Stage
 Intent (transactional, informational, commercial investigation, navigational)

11. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted - Landing Page Analysis

12. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted – Search Intent
Search Query Classification Funnel
Informational
80% of search volume
Non-commercial, non-transaction-oriented
Example: what is an XYZ?
Commercial Investigation
10% of search volume
Research-oriented with implied conversion action
Example: XYZ vs ABC
Transactional
10% of search volume
Explicit intent to complete a conversion action
Example: buy an XYZ

13. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted – Search Intent

14. @JordanKasteler
How SEOs Have Adjusted – Search Intent
Keyword-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Incorporate keyword
“XYZ” into page copy and important on-page
elements.
Intent-Based Optimization
Optimization Action: Identify the primary topics
and questions users are looking to answer when
searching for “XYZ” and create content to address
the user’s needs on the targeted landing page.

15. Methods, Strategies & Tool Solutions
 Google & Bing Webmaster Tools
 Top Queries & Pages (clicks/impressions)
 Bright Edge DataCube
 Site Search
 Google AdWords
 Paid & Organic Reports
 RDI Brand vs Non-Brand Internal Predictive Analysis
@JordanKasteler

16. Tool: Google Webmaster Tools
@JordanKasteler

17. Tool: BrightEdge Data Cube
@JordanKasteler

18. Tool: Site Search
@JordanKasteler

19. Tool: AdWords Paid & Organic Reports
@JordanKasteler

20. Red Door Interactive Predictive Analysis
@JordanKasteler

21. Red Door Interactive Predictive Analysis
@JordanKasteler

22. Thank You!
@JordanKasteler
jkasteler@reddoor.biz