This document presents an overview of modern SEO best practices and myths from Michael Reynolds, the president and CEO of SpinWeb. It discusses how SEO has evolved from outdated tactics like keyword stuffing to a focus on creating helpful content for buyer personas and building social media profiles and partnerships. Key myths debunked include the importance of meta tags, targeting exact keywords, and that SEO can be done as a one-time project. The document advocates for a holistic inbound marketing approach centered around producing high-quality content and optimizing the user experience over time.

1. This is Not
THE SEO
You’re Looking For
The truths, myths, and best practices behind a modern
SEO strategy.
PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS

2. Michael Reynolds
About Michael:
• President / CEO of SpinWeb
• Cellist
• Sushi connoisseur
• Tennis player
• Marketing/tech nerd
• www.spinweb.net

3. I Want SEO!
Common Requests:
• “We want to rank for [big term XYZ].”
• “We’ve lost search rankings… help!”
• “We need to ‘optimize’ our website for SEO.”
• “We need to get keywords in our site!”
• “We want people to find us when they type in
[big competitive search term].”

4. The “Good Old Days” of SEO
Stuff that Used to Work:
• Keyword stuffing
• Lots of technical optimization
• Inbound link strategies
• Title tag hacks
• SEO “Projects”
• “Doing SEO”

5. SEO Myths
Lies Still Getting Told:
• SEO means ranking for “big” keywords
• SEO is all about tuning my website
• SEO is an IT function
• I just need lots of inbound links
• Meta tags/descriptions are a big deal
• My home page needs keywords
• Once my site is optimized, I’m done

6. How Google Works
Google’s primary objective
is to serve the best
possible content to the
end user (the searcher).

7. Hummingbird
Google’s Hummingbird
Algorithm will focus more on
the meaning, or semantics, of
search phrases, as opposed
to the individual words within
them.

8. Modern SEO Tactic #1
Create buyer personas and
target what they are
searching for, not just your
product/service keywords.
Track realistic keywords and
use them for content ideas,
not literal targets.

9. Example: HR Consulting

10. Modern SEO Tactic #2
Consistently produce and
publish really really really
sincere content that solves
problems.

11. Example: Types of Content

12. Modern SEO Tactic #3
Build out strong social
profiles, especially Google+.
Set up Authorship on blog
and other publications.
Network on social media
and create partnerships.
Also use personal profiles.

13. Example: Authorship/Social

14. Myth: Site Submission
You don’t need to submit your website to
Google. It will be indexed regardless.

15. Myth: I Need Inbound Links
If you publish great
content with sincerity and
heart, quality inbound
links will appear. Gaming
the system with low-
quality links will not work.

16. Myth: Meta Tags!
Google announced back in 2009 that meta
descriptions (and meta keywords) have no
bearing on search rankings.

17. Myth: SEO is a Project
SEO is not “set it and forget it.” It is
an ongoing program that should
be viewed holistically to focus on
quality throughout on-page
optimization, off-page
optimization, user experience,
and conversions. It’s baked into
everything.

18. Myth: Exact Search Terms!
Google’s algorithm looks for intent, not exact
terms. Write naturally and conversationally and
you will have a better chance at winning at SEO.

19. Myth: Home Page Keywords!
When doing it right, you’ll get
a lot of incoming search traffic
via your blog, not your home
page. Design with usability in
mind… not keywords.

20. Myth: Microsites Will Help
Microsites can be valid if they
serve a marketing goal, but
are not useful as a SEO tactic.

21. Myth: SEO Can Happen Fast
Building search traffic takes
time and effort. It can take
months for it to start showing
momentum, but once you get
rolling it can really start to
pay off.

22. The Technical Stuff
Tune the Following:
• Titles: go for relevance, not keywords
• Usability: use ALT tags, meta description
(for conversion optimization)
• Responsive website
• Subdomains are fine

23. Results

24. Results

25. Results

26. SEO = Inbound Marketing
Social Media
Search
Content Marketing
Sale
Sale
Landing pages / CTAs
Email campaigns
Conversion optimization
Workflows / Segmentation
Lead scoring CRM integration

27. This is Not
THE SEO
You’re Looking For
The truths, myths, and best practices behind a modern
SEO strategy.
PRESENTED BY: MICHAEL REYNOLDS