The world's biggest businesses go into forensic detail in their branding strategies. And yet, their landing pages show no sign of these carefully crafted brand voices. As we move into a more sophisticated era of search, simply stringing keywords together with a few prepositions will no longer suffice. With voice and visual search on the rise, the SEO industry is in danger of being left behind in the content space. The branding specialists will take over if we don't up our game.

1. THE DEATH OF
'SEO CONTENT'
C L A R K B O Y D , C A N D I D D I G I T A L
I T ' S A B O U T T I M E , R E A L L Y .

2. Setting the scene
-Brands invest huge sums in content marketing
- So what is 'SEO content'?
- The intensifying battle for audience attention
A game (Admittedly, not a very exciting one)
- Guess the brand from its 'credit cards' content
How we got here
- Why does 'SEO content' happen?
- Why it's not good enough any more
How we'll move forward
- The synthesis of branding and performance marketing
- Opportunities today
DISCUSSION POINTS
THE DEATH OF 'SEO CONTENT'

3. 36%
of UK marketing budgets is
spent on content marketing.
82%
of consumers will click on a
search result because they
know the brand.
(https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/12/2017_UK_Research_FINAL.pdf) (https://www.redcmarketing.com/secret-life-of-search/)

4. Basically: keywords strung together by
prepositions, often written by a junior SEO.
WHAT IS SEO CONTENT?
LANDING PAGE COPY
CREATED WITH THE
PURPOSE OF RANKING
VIA ORGANIC SEARCH.

5. The SEO Content block is typically filled with something
like the below:
"Our Converse styles range from sporty, retro or classic, to
bold, daring and individual. A variety of collections is on
offer in our shoe sale including the All Star, One Star and
Jack Purcell all of which come in a selection of materials
and colours. Take advantage of the Converse sale and get
stylish trainers at a discounted price!"
This can also appear at the bottom of the page, or
sometimes in the sidebar. No-one talks like this and no-one
likes to read this content. It is written 'for SEO', but SEO has
changed.
As the following slide shows, consumers will simply move
on to another site if they are met by a sub-par experience.
It therefore seems oddly cavalier to put so much keyword-
infused content on vital acquisition pages. Yet, many of the
world's largest brands do so.
SEO Content
LOGO
PRODUCT
DETAILS
PRODUCT
DETAILS
PRODUCT
DETAILS
THE SEO CONTENT PAGE

6. Online journeys are frictionless; consumers can move from
store to store in a way they could not offline.
This puts a premium on attention, as consumers will simply
move on if the experience is not up to expectation.
79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site
will go back and search for another site. (Adobe)
As we can see on the left, consumers visit major retailers for
a range of reasons. There is no clear pattern of researching in
one place, then purchasing in another. Consumers go where
they must to find the information they want. SEO doesn't
stop once we get the user to click through to our website or
app.
THE CONSUMER JOURNEY IS NON-
LINEAR AND DEFINED BY CHOICE
(Data from 'Era of Ecommerce' report by ClickZ and
Catalyst, October 2018.)

7. A GAME
(ADMITTEDLY, NOT A VERY
EXCITING ONE)

8. The following 3 slides each contain the introductory paragraph from
the credit cards page of a major issuer in the UK.
Try to guess which piece of content is from each company.

12. Given the huge marketing budget at each company's disposal, it is surprising that they accept this bland content
on such a crucial acquisition page. There is no trace of a brand identity here, or even of an attempt to persuade
potential customers. Yet, this is the first content consumers see when they arrive on the page.
We wouldn't see this on their TV advertising, so why does it happen online? As consumers talk to their devices
more, the negative impact of this meaningless content will intensify.
THE BIG REVEAL

13. "A credit card is a convenient
and flexible way of borrowing
money, which lets you make
purchases that you can pay for
in the future.
Before you take out a credit
card, it’s important to be
aware of the potential costs
and ensure that you only
borrow what you can afford to
pay back. To get the most out
of your credit card it’s
important you’re able to meet
your payment dates and
ideally pay in full every month."
Should I get a
Barclaycard
credit card?
Consumers are starting to expect conversational experiences. It's great for brands if they ask these questions, but
only if the brand provides a suitable answer. Exchanges like the one above will become increasingly common; at
present, brands are providing 'SEO content' answers that were designed to hit a word count.
....Ok. That was
weird.
Bye, Google.

14. David Ogilvy
"BRAND IMAGE MEANS
PERSONALITY.
EVERY ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD BE
THOUGHT OF AS A CONTRIBUTION
TO THE BRAND IMAGE."
TIME FOR A QUOTE

17. GEICO spends in excess of $1 billion each year on advertising. Their carefully crafted brand permeates
all of their online and offline media, but their product landing pages are plagued by 'SEO content'.
Imagine this content is read by a smart speaker; it will do little to increase GEICO's sales.

18. WHY SEO CONTENT
HAPPENS
(AND WHY IT'S NOT GOOD
ENOUGH ANY MORE)

19. WHY 'SEO
CONTENT'
HAPPENS
There is an understanding within
companies that the SEO team knows
how to get content to rank. As a result,
SEOs are given the freedom to create
landing page copy.
SEOs create content based on their data
sources, which other teams typically do
not use. Content is written based on
search trends with the aim of
communicating with search bots.
The assumption is that the benefits 'SEO
content' brings (better SEO rankings;
more traffic; more sales) will outweigh
the negatives of placing below-par
content on landing pages.

20. WHY IT ISN'T
GOOD ENOUGH
ANY MORE
First impressions count
Particularly on a mobile screen, there is no space to waste with
repetitive keywords and synonyms. Consumers have a perception
of a brand in mind; they expect all content to demonstrate this
identity.
SEO has changed
SEO content was vital for rankings. However, those days are gone;
Google's NLP and computer vision capabilities have improved
significantly. It is possible to rank for competitive terms using
multimedia content that talks to people, not just bots. In fact, it is
much more successful and contributes to a positive user
experience.
Consumer behaviours are shifting
As consumers access content through voice and visual search,
brands need to create suitable assets. Schema.org formats like
Speakable point to a future where content will be read out. Having
a 'brand voice' is a genuine requirement now.

21. CONSUMERS ARE INFLUENCED BY VISUAL MEDIA
Increasingly, consumers discover new brands and products
through social media rather than search. This shapes the
rest of the purchase journey, with younger consumers more
likely to expect visual content. The world of '10 blue links' is
disappearing fast, with Google adding more visual elements
to the SERP all the time.
(Question: Where do you typically discover new brands?,
Era of Ecommerce report, ClickZ/Catalyst)
KEYWORD MATCHING IS DEAD
93% of search queries have a search volume of 10
or less per month. (Ahrefs, 2019).
The onus should now be placed on creating
content for consumer intent states, rather than
using overly-simplistic 'personas'. The range of
intent states is slow to change; it is expressed in
new ways as new technologies emerge. This is a
more productive approach than simply matching
keywords in copy to popular queries.

22. DATA FROM SPARKTORO/JUMPSHOT
64% OF MOBILE SEARCHES DO NOT
RESULT IN A CLICK
THE RISE OF NO-
CLICK
SEARCHES
Marketers need to consider how to influence
their audience within the search results.
Moreover, we must decide how to measure the
impact of these interactions. Current models rely
on actions (clicks, shares, page exits), but here we
are dealing with impressions.
June '18 July August September
75%
50%
25%
0%
Mobile
Desktop

23. THE DEATH OF 'SEO CONTENT'
The concept of 'SEO rankings' has changed
dramatically. There are 40+ different SERP features
today and Google will introduce more visual
elements in the coming months. An SEO content
strategy should encompass images, audio, video,
and the knowledge graph.
DESKTOP SERP
INFLUENCING BEHAVIOUR WITHOUT CLICKS

24. THE DEATH OF 'SEO CONTENT'
Content strategy should consider the SERP on both
mobile and desktop. The image on the right for the
query [credit cards] shows just how similar the results
are. Capturing attention should be essential in any
marketing strategy, but we have fallen into the trap of
believing this text is required for SEO success. Every
brand looks identical here.
MOBILE SEARCH
MAKING AN IMPRESSION ON THE SERPS

25. Presentations are communication tools that can be
demonstrations, lectures, speeches, reports, and
more. Most of the time, they’re presented before an
audience. They have a variety of purposes, making
them powerful tools for convincing.
SOCIAL AND MOBILE
MARKETING
ANNOUNCE, LISTEN, AND ENGAGE
The ongoing rise of 'personal search' (reported above by Google) opens new opportunities to connect
with individuals. People are asking very specific questions and, therefore, expecting bespoke
answers. The brands that can use data and content to deliver will steall a march on the competition.

26. HOW TO MERGE BRAND
AND PERFORMANCE
MARKETING THROUGH
CONTENT

27. MAINTAINING BRAND IDENTITY THROUGH PERFORMANCE CHANNELS
PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING
BRANDED SEARCH CONTENT
Messaging
and
positioning
Search teams must
work alongside
brand marketers to
understand the
brand voice,
The right
metrics
We need new
metrics for a new
age of search. Work
to develop an
overarching brand
measurement
strategy.
Crafting a
story
Develop a map of
the brand touch
points a consumer
will encounter, then
decide how to
synthesise brand
with performance at
each stage.
Use search
audience data
Content should still
be informed by
search trends, of
course. Use paid
search and Analytics
data to deliver on
audience
expectations.

28. Teambit uses its
homepage to tell a
story through visuals
and clear text, all
infused with the
brand's personality.
The homepage
develops the narrative
as the user scrolls,
covering a range of
intent stages from
initial awareness
through to pricing.
BEST PRACTICE
EXAMPLE

29. SAMSUNG PRODUCT PAGES
These pages cover every aspect of the search
journey, from awareness, through to research,
comparison, and conversion. The text content is
search-friendly and displays the brand's identity
without resorting to keyword repetition.
VISUAL CONTENT
Samsung makes use of high quality imagery and
video to reflect the product's quality. There is an
opportunity for Samsung to communicate better
via digital assistants, however. Audio content will
grow in importance for the search industry and we
should expect brands like Samsung to take
advantage.

30. CONTENT CREATION TECHNOLOGY
SEMrush Conductor Phrasee
AI-driven content creation technologies can assist the writing process, ensuring popular topics are
covered without resorting to keyword repetition. Marketers should beware, however. Technology
can have a levelling effect; if everyone has the same tools, it is more important than ever to find a
differentiating factor. Often, that can come down to the personality the brand injects into the
content. Technology can assist a good writer, but cannot yet replace them.

31. IN SUMMARY: OPPORTUNITIES TODAY
The quality of landing page content is
mediocre, at best. Review and rewrite
content across your site, your app, and
any content hosted on retailer websites.
LANDING PAGE TEXT Digital culture is increasingly visual.
Consumers navigate, compare, and shop
visually - just as they have always done
offline. There are no shortcuts here;
brands need to make imagery central to
their experience to rank highly in
search.
VISUAL CONTENT
Conversational search is a huge
opportunity, but it will be missed if
marketers keep writing for Google
alone. Listen to your content through a
text-to-speech transcription and
consider embedding audio clips on
landing pages.
AUDIO CONTENT
The future of search lies in personalised
experiences - an area that has been slow
to develop, due to its complexity.
Brands must use behavioural data to
create dynamic experiences that can be
communicated through digital
assistants.
BEHAVIOURAL DATA

32. GET IN TOUCH
https://www.linkedin.
com/in/clark-boyd-
digital
Clark@Candid.digital@ClarkBoyd

33. Questions? Let me know!
THANK YOU!