SEO is an ongoing process focused on improving user experience through high-quality content. It is no longer a project but requires continual effort. While technical on-site factors remain important, SEO today is fundamentally driven by off-site factors like content and social sharing. Measuring SEO success relies on tracking quality metrics like organic traffic, time on site, and lead conversions over quick fixes or guarantees.

1. There’s No Quick Fix to
Your SEO
APTERA DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES

2. Speaker Introductions
Ron Mattocks – Director of Digital Marketing Services
Tim Williamson – Lead Developer at Aptera

3. Webinar Intent and Takeaways
Intent
Provide you with a brief overview of what search engine optimization means today, why it has
changed, and how to now approach it.
Key Takeaways
SEO is geared to user experience
SEO is no longer a project; it’s now an ongoing process
SEO today is fundamentally content-driven
SEO done correctly can lead to better quality traffic, leads, & sales

4. SEO is Like Living Healthy

5. Changes in SEO
IT’S GEARED TO USER EXPERIENCE

6. Timeline of SEO Algorithms (Google)
2003 – Backlink quality, index infrastructure, keyword stuffing
2004 – Invisible text, meta tag-stuffing
2005 – Link quality, duplicate content, personalized search, map data
2007 – Universal search (News, images, video, local)
2009 – Real time search
2010 – Places and local search, long-tail keywords
2011 – thin content, ads, fresh content
2012 – Google+, local search, link schemes, keyword stuffing, low quality sites
2013 – Long-from content, search context, high-quality content
2014 – Local search, site security, removed authorship
2015 – Mobile-friendliness

7. Key Google Algorithms
Panda – Penalize poor quality content
Penguin – Penalization of over-optimization & link spam
Hummingbird – Taking contextual search into account
Pigeon – Refined focus on local search
“Mobilegeddon” – Mobile responsive site

8. Common Misconceptions
It’s some magical thing the developer takes care of
SEO and AdWords are the same thing
It’s ALL about keywords / I need keywords everywhere
“Just tell me the 3 things I can do to fix things now, and maybe I’ll do the rest later.”
“I don’t need a blog.”
“I don’t want my competitors to find out my keywords.”
“These are the keywords we should be using.”
“We can guarantee to get you on page 1.”

9. “In 2004, good SEO made you
remarkable on the web. In 2014,
good SEO is a result of being
remarkable on the web.”
- RAND FISHKIN, MOZ CO-FOUNDER

10. SEO Today
IT’S NO LONGER A PROJECT; IT’S AN ON-GOING PROCESS

11. The Science vs. The Art of SEO
“SCIENCE” – DEVELOPMENT
Titles and Meta Data
Alt Image Tagging
Header Tags
Internal Links
Broken Links / URL
Redirects
URL Structure
Load Time
Layout
Duplicate Content
Schema.org Markup
XML Sitemaps
Flash/AJAX/Java Script
Issues
Backlink Authority
HTTPS/SSL
Mobile responsive
optimization
“ART” - MARKETING
Content Quality and Value
Content Length and Form
Content Freshness
Content consumption and
authority
Social Sharing activity
Quality over quantity of
backlinks
Correctly Researched
Keywords
Keyword density
Anchor Text (keywords as
links)
Keyword Tagging
Content Optimization
Tactics by form
Local SEO factors
Personalized search
Content Distribution
Long-tail Keywords

12. You Control: On-Site Weighted Factors
Mega Heavy Heavy Light
Development
Keywords in HTML title tags Meta description match page Keywords in headers
Architecture is easily crawled Avoid duplicate content Page data structured
Mobile optimized Short URLs with keywords
Site speed
Marketing
Quality content Reader engagement
Researched keywords Content freshness
Keyword phrase match intent Source: Search Engine Land Periodic Chart of SEO

13. Don’t Control: Off-Site Weighted Factors
Mega Heavy Heavy Light
Link quality from other sites Linking text authority Social shares
Is your site trusted Social share reputation Site history
Personal – Country & Local Social follows within network Number of backlinks
Personal search history Verification of site

14. Weighted Search Penalties
Gut Buster Super Size Regular
Purchasing links Thin content Numerous spammy links
Page cloaking search engines Keyword stuffing Ad heavy above the fold
Hiding text with colors
Flagged for pirated content

15. “Write content for people.
Write code for engines.”
- ALAN BLEIWEISS, FORENSIC SEO CONSULTANT

16. Making SEO Work
IT’S FUNDAMENTALLY CONTENT-DRIVEN

17. What Makes SEO Hard
SEO strategy is going to be content-driven (Marketing Function)
Creating content is hard.
Creating good content is harder.
Creating good content consistently is even harder.
Creating good content consistently that people like seems impossible
“Where do I start?”

18. The Process - Personas
Personas are fictional, generalized characters that encompass the various needs, goals, and
observed behavior patterns among your real and potential customers to better understand them.
Role in the organization and decision making process
Priority Initiatives and Success Factors
Misconceptions and Objections
Trusted information sources and tech use
Decision factors and process

19. The Process - Buyer’s Journey
Buyer’s Journey is the active research process a potential buyer goes through leading up to
making a purchase decision broken into several stages
Awareness: Is doing educational research to more clearly understand, frame, and give name to
their problem.
Consideration: Prospect has now clearly defined and given a name to their problem or
opportunity. Is committed to researching and understanding all of the available approaches
and/or methods to solving the defined problem or opportunity.
Decision: Prospect has now decided on their solution strategy, method, or approach. Is
compiling a long list of all available vendors and products in their given solution strategy

20. The Process - Keyword Glossary
Buyer’s
Journey
Root Word
Examples
The Searcher’s Question The Answer = Topics for content Keyword
Glossary
Top Funnel
Awareness
Issue
Resolve
Risks
Improve
Optimize
Prevent
What is [insert problem] and how
can I prevent or resolve it?
[Problem] is defined as this and to
prevent or resolve it this is what
you need to do.
Top Funnel
Keywords
Mid Funnel
Consideration
Solution
Provider
Service
Supplier
Tool
Software
What are the best solutions to
[problem] and which service
provider should I talk to?
There are several solutions to
[problem] depending on a few
factors. The best service provider
will account for these in assisting
you.
Mid Funnel
Keywords
Bottom Funnel
Decision
Benchmarks
Pros & Cons
Compare
Price/Cost of
Reviews
What are the pros vs. cons of
these solution & how does it
compare to others?
In making your decision consider
these pros and cons as they will
affect the outcome and overall
cost.
Bottom
Funnel
Keywords

21. Keyword Glossary - Tools
COMING UP WITH THE QUESTIONS
Quora
Ask.com
Yahoo Answers
Twitter Search
Industry forums and message boards
RESEARCHING THE KEYWORDS
Google AdWords Keyword Tools
Google Suggest
Uber Suggest
Don’t forget mobile and international

22. Keyword Glossary – On-Site Applications
DEVELOPMENT
Keywords in HTML title tags (3)
Meta description match page (2)
Avoid duplicate content (2)
Keywords in headers (1)
Short URLs with keywords (1)
MARKETING
Quality content (3)
Researched keywords (3)
Keyword phrase match intent (3)
Reader engagement (2)
Content freshness (2)
Employ Tactical Best Practices
without Sacrificing Quality

23. “Google only loves you when
everyone else loves you first.”
- WENDY PIERSALL, AUTHOR & CEO

24. Defining SEO Success
IT CAN LEAD TO BETTER QUALITY TRAFFIC, LEADS, & SALES

25. Measure, Adjust, Refine
TOOLS
Google Analytics, AdWords Tools, Webmaster
Tools (Google, Bing, Yahoo)
Diganostics -MOZ, RavenTools, Google’s
Mobile Friendly Test
Marketing – HubSpot (campaigns, grader)
Chrome extensions – MOZBar, SEOQuake,
WooRank
TOP-LEVEL KPI’S – QUALITY
Organic search traffic as a % of overall site
traffic
Average page views, time on site, bounce rate
Lead conversions from organic search
Search traffic by device
Quality of backlinks
Page rank position (up or down)

26. Case Study Example 1
Source: Google Analytics – Organic Search Traffic

27. Case Study Example 2
Source: HubSpot – Organic Search Traffic/Contacts

28. Case Study Example 2
Source: HubSpot – Organic Search/Paid Search/Contacts

29. “It’s much easier to double your
business by doubling your
conversion rate than by doubling
your traffic.”
- JEFF EISENBERG, CMO AT CITIZEN.VC

30. Questions
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