This document provides advice on how to effectively teach SEO to non-SEO audiences. It argues that expecting an entire company to fully commit to SEO training during a single session is unrealistic. Instead, training should be treated like marketing, with a focus on creating targeted content for different audiences, and delivering it consistently over time through various channels. The goal is to convert some trainees into advocates for SEO rather than expecting full adoption from all attendees in a single session. Quality is more about content being complete, usable and up-to-date than about production values. Priorities should be completeness, always being available, and targeting the right audience.

1. DON’T BE
RIDICULOUSTEACHING SEO TO NON-SEOs*
*When they couldn’t care less
By Ian Lurie
For Seattle Search Network

2. @IanLurie
Me
Founder/Former CEO of Portent
Nerd/programmer/writer/gamer
Love marketing, SEO, cycling, Dungeons & Dragons

3. @IanLurie
Nowaconsultant
Livingaglamorouslifeofleisure
OFFICE &
CRAFT AREA
BIKE SHOP
GYM

4. @IanLurie
The Problem

5. @IanLurie
Theywantinter-teamSEOtraining.
Sweet!Thisismybigchance!!!!

6. @IanLurie
HowIlookwhenIwalkintothe
conferenceroom.
I’m here to
teach you the
beautiful poetry
that is SEO.

7. @IanLurie
HowIstart.
Business case
available resources
opportunity gap
etc. etc. etc.

8. @IanLurie
HowIend.
Title tags,
descriptions,
structured data, NLP,
machine learning,
links, architecture

9. @IanLurie
Whattheyhear.
cost effort
complexity
annoyance snake oil
blah blah blah blah

10. @IanLurie
Iusedthesametrainingforevery
team.Theyrespondedthesameway.

11. @IanLurie
Hey thanks that was great. We’ll get right on it.*
*Whatever the hell “it” is…

12. @IanLurie
Ihadanepiphany.Expectingthe
entirecompanytoattendtraining,
writeitdownandcommitto
executionthen&thereisridiculous.

13. @IanLurie
Training Is Marketing

14. @IanLurie
Trainingismarketing
I should treat
training the same
way i treat all
other content.

15. @IanLurie
Audienceawareness,greatcontent,
andsmartdeliverywillwintheday
Yes, that’s an Oxford
comma. Phbbbt.

16. @IanLurie
Setting Expectations

17. People you invite.

18. People who attend

19. The converts

20. @IanLurie
Trainingismarketing.
Theseconvertsareyourmarketingteam.

21. @IanLurie
Target The Audience

22. @IanLurie
Ialwaysdeliveredthesame
trainingtoeveryteam.
that’s ridiculous.

23. @IanLurie
Createcontentthattargets
eachaudience.
that makes sense.

24. @IanLurie
Nerdosity: Howdeepyoudrillinto
searchenginesandtechnology
Examples: What’sright,what’swrong,
bestpractices
Data: Performance,opportunitygap,
businessimpact

25. @IanLurie
Other marketers andcreative
nerds wanttoknowhowSEO:
Worksatahighlevel
Canhelpthemgetresults
Mayimpacttheirday-to-day
Snappy dressers. Know how to party.
Deep thinkers. Remember everything.

26. @IanLurie
Nerdosity Examples Data

27. @IanLurie
“Titletagsstillmatteralot.”
“Don’tmessupyourcopy.Optimize
afteryouwriteit.”
“Here’showthathubyoubuilthelped
usrank!”
“Yes,Iknowwesellathleticfootwear.
Pleasecallthemrunningshoes.” Snappy dressers. Know how to party.
Deep thinkers. Remember everything.

28. @IanLurie
Developers, specialists, analysts
andtechnicians wanttohowSEO:
Really,trulyworks
Mayimpacttheirday-to-day
Interactswithtechnology
Clever. Good with tools.
Don’t get out much.

29. @IanLurie
Nerdosity Examples Data

30. @IanLurie
“Googlebotworkslikethis.”
“Movingtosubfoldersboostedour
traffic75%!”
“Javascriptsucks,butyoucanmitigate
thesuckagebyusingprerendering.
Herearethreeexamples.”
Clever. Good with tools.
Don’t get out much.

31. @IanLurie
Management wantstoknowhow:
SEOcangrowthebusiness
Howthecompetitionisdoing
Howmuchitwillcost
Always planning for the future.
Stressed out. Organized. Careful.

32. @IanLurie
Nerdosity Examples Data

33. @IanLurie
“Ourshareofvoiceisonly10%.Ifwecan
getto12%,we’llgain10,000visitors.”
“Lastyear,theteammadethisone
changeandincreasedshareofvoice
10%.”
Ourcompetitorshave20%shareof
voiceforthesephrases.
Clever. Good with tools.
Don’t get out much.

34. @IanLurie
Never,ever,everbelievethis.
Findoutwhat“advanced”means.
we want the
advanced course.

35. @IanLurie
Duringlivetraining,alwayshaveasafeword:“Interesting”

36. @IanLurie
Deliver All The Time

37. @IanLurie
Ialwaysassumedeveryonecould
attendatrainingsession,thatthey’re
payingattention,andthatthey’ll
rememberthatoneemailIsent.
that’s ridiculous.

38. @IanLurie
Ensurepeoplecanalwaysaccess
andconsumeyourcontent.
Maybe i have another
meeting. Or my cat
gets angry at the dog
and pees everywhere
so i get distracted.

39. Too large to fit in microwave.

40. @IanLurie
Ilovetolookatfancy-schmancy
learningmanagementsystems.
that’s ridiculous.

41. @IanLurie
Nomatterwhattoolyou
choose,halftheorganizationwill
hateit.
So use what you have.

42. @IanLurie
Write + Organize + Ping

43. @IanLurie
Video/Doc/Deck/Etc. + Google Docs + Email

44. @IanLurie
Simple list of links
Note updates
Always solicit questions
I like to organize by audience
Ping via email
Send regularly

45. @IanLurie
Keep it simple
Note updates
Use headings
Organize by audience
Build a library!

46. @IanLurie
NoallowedtouseGoogleDocs?
Emailalisteveryweek.Usethe
companyknowledgebase.Use
theticketingsystem…
get creative.

47. @IanLurie
Q&A?Getfancywithan
integratedSlackknowledge
baselikeTettra

48. @IanLurie
Everythingendsupina
document!

49. @IanLurie
Hey,that’ssomeone
else’scontent?!!!!
Follow the rules and
it’s perfectly OK.

50. @IanLurie
Nameversions.

51. @IanLurie
Organizeit
(Anystoragewilldo)

52. @IanLurie
Create Quality Content

53. @IanLurie
Ialwaystriedtocreategorgeous,
award-winningtrainingcontent.
that’s ridiculous.

54. @IanLurie
Qualitymeanscomplete,usable,
andup-to-date.
that makes sense.

55. @IanLurie
Please,Ibegyou…
No new tools.

56. @IanLurie
Usewhatyouhave.
pdfs. Google Docs.
Word Docs. Whatever.

57. @IanLurie
Word/GoogleDocsarefine

58. @IanLurie
HTMLisgreat.

59. @IanLurie
Ifyouuseslides,thoroughlyannotate
orincludeanotesview.

60. @IanLurie
Howaboutplaintext?
UseMarkdown.
Plain text? Use Markdown and convert to PDF, Google Doc, Word Doc...
http://bit.ly/2OG5GQX

61. @IanLurie
Recordin-persontraining!
(Video’seasy,butnotrequired)

62. @IanLurie
Recordeverything!
Screencaptureisreallyeasy
Screencapture is a cinch.
I use Screenflow.

63. @IanLurie
Repurposevideo!
Transcribe,edit,publishwithimages
(Moz’sWhiteboardFridayisthegoldstandard)

64. @IanLurie
TryZapier+Trint+Zoomtoautomatetheprocess.

65. @IanLurie
Randompetpeeve:
Pleaselearntocreate
andannotatescreen
capturesonaRetinaor
HiDPIdisplay.
Snagitisagreattool.

66. @IanLurie
Todoallthis,you’dneed
approximately30hours/week.
that’s ridiculous.

67. @IanLurie
Startwiththesimplestformat.
that makes sense.

68. @IanLurie
Alwaysanswer.
Better an ugly
answer than no
answer at all.

69. @IanLurie
Createsmallchunks.
No matter how long the session or
how detailed the walkthru, break it up
into lots of separate, connected,
smaller chunks of information. It’s
easier to edit and consume.

70. @IanLurie
Alwaysturnanswers
intocontent.

71. @IanLurie
Repurposethebiggesttitles.
that makes sense.

72. @IanLurie
Oh yeah: Use analytics.

73. @IanLurie
Sharepoint,GoogleDocs,
emailopens…

74. @IanLurie
Who has time?!

75. @IanLurie
Ialwaystriedtoexecute100%of
theserecommendations.
that’s ridiculous.

76. @IanLurie
Set Priorities
1. Complete
2. AllTheTime
3. Beautiful
that makes sense.

77. @IanLurie
Treattrainingasmarketing.

78. @IanLurie
Lookforconverts.

79. @IanLurie
Targettheaudience.

80. @IanLurie
Deliverallthetime.

81. @IanLurie
Createqualitycontent.

82. Nice vest
Slides: https://bit.ly/seo-train
Ian Lurie
ian@ianlurie.com
@ianlurie