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Why SEO That Used to Work, Fails
This document discusses how SEO has changed and tactics that used to work no longer do. It provides 6 key points: 1. SEO must be strategic rather than tactical. It involves understanding audiences, amplification opportunities, and marketing funnels. 2. Building a powerful brand may be more important than optimizing a site, as brands have invested in SEO and benefit from changes in Google's algorithm. 3. Choosing keywords is more complex and involves considering opportunity, features, and intent overlap rather than just volume and value. 4. Links should be earned like a publicist rather than manually built, as scalable strategies like great content are more effective than manipulative tactics. 5
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Why SEO That Used to Work, Fails
- 1. Rand Fishkin, Wizardof Moz | @randfish | rand@moz.com Why SEO That Used to Work Fails How shifts in the search landscape, marketing channels, & user behavior mean what used to work in SEO, doesn’t anymore.
- 2.
- 3. #1 Tactical SEO fails.Strategic SEO works.
- 4. SEO as aTactic: Example: Rand’s new site offering dating advice to Jewish guys I went on dates with four different people from 1995-2001 (then I met Geraldine). I must be qualified!
- 5. I want torank for these keywords. SEO as a Tactic: Controlling your nebbishy nature How to say no to Mom’s setup attempts What is this ‘sports’ thing? How schlubby is too schlubby? Keywords for Menschify.com
- 6. I want togrow our search traffic by 33% this year. SEO as a Tactic:
- 7. Why Doesn’t ThisWork? What Changed?
- 8. The Ranking AlgoUsed to Feel Like This: Keyword Matching Domain Authority Link Signals QDF Ranking+ + + = Great. Just do that stuff on the pages I told you to rank.
- 9. Now It FeelsMore Like This: Keyword Matching Domain Authority Link Signals QDF (& QDD) Ranking + + + + Uhhh…OK. So just do all that now, right? Intent Matching Topical Authority Usage Signals User Experience+ + + = HTTPS, Mobile, +
- 10. We Used toRun Marketing Channels as Distinct, Separate Silos Organic Search Social Media Paid Search Email Brand Marketing Offline & WoM Onpage Channels Quality Score List Size & Quality Sentiment Virality Offpage Following Spend Open & Click Rate Reach Distri-bution
- 11. Each Channel Contributed Individuallyto the Whole 3X Organic Search Social Media Paid Search+ + =
- 12. Then, Some MarketersRealized the Benefits of Channel Integration 6X= Organic Search Social Media Paid Search
- 13. This Integration Benefitsfrom Two Trends Search Social Offline Email Content WoM #1: More web users consuming more of these in tandem: #2: Many of these channels directly & indirectly influencing each other:
- 14. So What DoesStrategic SEO Look Like?
- 15. SEOAs a Strategy: Audience Amplification Funnel Weneed to answer questions about each of these to form a coherent SEO strategy
- 16. Who is mytarget customer?And who will eventually become a target customer? Who/what influences mytarget customers? Audience What channels can I use toreach these three audiences?
- 17. Funnel Which parts ofour marketing funnel are right for SEO? What problems, questions, or topics do people have that align w/ our goals?
- 18. How will weearn the visibility signals necessary tocompete? Amplification Why will those who see our work amplify us rather than our competition?
- 19. SEOAs a Strategy: Audience Amplification Funnel Onceyou nail these, the tactical to-do list is much easier to create (and much more effective)
- 20. #2 Building a well-SEO’dsite may be less valuable than building a powerful brand.
- 21. 2011: I think that’sthe only one I’ve heard of…
- 22. 2015: Hmm… Pretty surethat’s 5 of the 7 largest, best-known auto insurers in the US?
- 23. 2011: I know Sunset,but none of these others.
- 24. 2015: This is theonly brand on page one I don’t know.
- 25.
- 26. #1: Brands GotSeriousAbout Investing in SEO In years past, big brands didn’t have in-house SEO teams. Today, it’s a standard.
- 27. #2: Brands Benefittedfrom Shifts in Google’sAlgo More Links = Higher Rankings Better Links = Higher Rankings Brand familiarity & UX barely influence SEO Usage signals mean brand & UX are powerful influencers Naïve KW matching rewards KW-centric SEO Topic & intent-matching reward more holistic content 2015:2011:
- 28. These brand infodrop- downs suggest to me Google’s deeply interested in highlighting brands in their SERPs.
- 29. In many results,there’s an eerie correlation between high rankings and sites that have the brand drop-down.
- 30. Building a well-knownbrand may soon be a prerequisite for ranking in Google.
- 31. #3 Choosing the rightkeywords is much more complex than in the past.
- 32. Old Keyword PrioritizationMethodology Term/Phrase Est. Volume Biz Value What’saMensch Whattowearona firstdate Sarmassophobia Kosherdateideas 100/month 1,000/month 20/month 30/month Low Medium Medium High Pri 2 1 5 3 Fearofdating 50/month Medium 4
- 33. Why doesn’t thiswork anymore? What changed?
- 34. Even ranking #1probably won’t get the site many visits.
- 35. This SERP hasa bias to fresh content and an image block that probably gets a lot of the traffic
- 36. It probably makesno sense to target these queries separately
- 37. Opportunity seems higherand competition lower than the others keywords…
- 38. What Should KeywordEvaluation Look Like in 2015?
- 39. New Keyword PrioritizationMethodology KW Volume Value What’saMensch Whattowearona firstdate Sarmassophobia Kosherdateideas 100/mth 1,000/mth 20/mth 30/mth Medium Low High High Pri 4 3 1 2 Fearofdating 50/mth High 1 Oppty FeaturesDiff 54% 47% 17% 50% 41% Low Medium High High High KG Images None ForumSitelinks None
- 40. 54% 47% 17% 50% 41% New Keyword PrioritizationMethodology KW Volume Value What’saMensch Whattowearona firstdate Sarmassophobia Kosherdateideas 100/mth 1,000/mth 20/mth 30/mth Medium Low High High Pri Fearofdating 50/mth High Oppty FeaturesDiff Low Medium High High High KG Images None ForumSitelinks None These two should be targeted by a single piece of content 4 3 1 2 1
- 41. 4 3 1 2 1 54% 47% 17% 50% 41% New Keyword PrioritizationMethodology KW Volume Value What’saMensch Whattowearona firstdate Sarmassophobia Kosherdateideas 100/mth 1,000/mth 20/mth 30/mth Medium Low High High Pri Fearofdating 50/mth High Oppty FeaturesDiff Low Medium High High High KG Images None ForumSitelinks None This may not even be a target at all given the low opportunity for traffic
- 42. 4 3 1 2 1 54% 47% 17% 50% 41% New Keyword PrioritizationMethodology KW Volume Value What’saMensch Whattowearona firstdate Sarmassophobia Kosherdateideas 100/mth 1,000/mth 20/mth 30/mth Medium Low High High Pri Fearofdating 50/mth High Oppty FeaturesDiff Low Medium High High High KG Images None ForumSitelinks None The image block may be an easier target for this query
- 43. Keyword Evaluation in2015 Has to Be Broader to Be Successful Potential Reach (volume) Intent Overlap Opportunity Business Value Verticals/ Features Content Requirements Audience Targeting
- 44. #4 Earn links likea publicist, not like a link builder.
- 45. Irony: IfAnyone CanGet the Link, No One Should Google should really have an answer box here warning searchers against using any of these results
- 46. Same story here– chase links like this and Google will make your life rough.
- 47. BTW – ifyou ever want to get around these annoying things, just use Google’s “cache:url” command and hit “Text only”
- 48. Every One ofThese is Dangerous: Article Marketing Private Blog Networks Article Directories Link Directories Web 2.0 Links Article Spinners Xrumer blasts Link Wheels Press Release Submissions Link Pyramids Social Bookmark Links Dofollow Comments SENuke Open Edu/Gov Links Redirection links
- 49. When it comesto links, stay away from these verbs and adjectives: Manual High PR BuySpin Dofollow Submit Blast Multi-tier Expired Domain Inject Separate C-block Private
- 50. It’s not justmanipulative links – manual link acquisition in general sucks I’ve spent months mastering link building, and can get 2-3 good links/day… why can’t I beat the competition?!
- 51. Manual links can’tcompete against a scalable flywheel Do Amazing Stuff (content, product, press, events, etc) Get attention from those who can amplify to a bigger audience Grow your amplification abilities (social, blog, RSS, PR, authority from links, etc) Earn more attention, amplification, and growth next time
- 52. Manual links can’tcompete against a scalable flywheel Do Amazing Stuff (content, product, press, events, etc) Get attention from those who can amplify to a bigger audience Grow your amplification abilities (social, blog, RSS, PR, authority from links, etc) Earn more attention, amplification, and growth next time So that’s why…
- 54. Why can’t we“acquire” links? What changed?
- 55. 1997-2011: Link Spamwas Google’s Problem Via the Moz Blog
- 56. 2012-Present: Link Spamis Our Problem Via Marie Haynes
- 57. What kinds oflinks still work?
- 58. Link from aguest post by Geraldine on MarieClaire. The Ones You Earn
- 59. Link from aninterview by Mashable. The Ones You Earn
- 60. Granted, the anchortext is a little weird, but it’s still a great link! The Ones You Earn
- 61. This Will GetYou in Trouble: Crappy Links Seek out links to rank better Acquire them manually Submit, pay, beg, trade, etc. + + = Low Scalability Risk of Penalties This Will Get You the Right Links: Do stuff worthy of attention Earn amplifi- cation Links come in naturally+ + = Traffic Branding Rankings
- 62. #5 Nailing SEO mightnot produce results w/o accompanying user & usage signals.
- 63. Say you makesome great content, get some great links, and rank here.
- 64. But, the piecedoesn’t engage visitors (or it loads slow, or doesn’t look right on their device). They click “back” and choose a different result. Unbelievably, eHarmony ranks w/ this awful page (10 signs? They only list 1!!)
- 65. But, searchers whoclick this one engage with it, browse more pages on the site, and don’t repeat the query.
- 66. All that effortprobably won’t help you maintain those rankings (and having a poor user experience could hurt your whole site in the engines’ eyes)
- 67. Why won’t Ikeep my rankings? What changed?
- 68. Search engines callthe click-back- and-choose-a-different-result behavior “pogo-sticking,” and they use it in evaluating rankings. Read more about Yahoo!’s Patent Application here.
- 69. Read more about Google’spatent application on usage data here. Engines probably also use data related to the visit frequency of pages/sites, so getting traffic from other sources and satisfying those visitors might help your SEO, too.
- 70. Perfect Keyword Targeting Domain Authority Loads of Links Anchor Text++ + + Great Content Excellent UX Lots of Traffic High Engagement+ + + Schema Markup Might Be Worse Than:
- 71. Perfect Keyword Targeting Domain Authority Loads of Links Anchor Text++ + + Great Content Excellent UX Lots of Traffic High Engagement+ + + Schema Markup Might Be Worse Than:Smart players will invest in all of these.
- 72. #6 SEO might nolonger be a great way to get early traction.
- 73. Bad biscuits makethe baker broke, bro.
- 74. Great Biscuits ABrand People Know, Love, & Share Great Rankings
- 75. Great Biscuits ABrand People Know, Love, & Share Great Rankings The era of this formula being reversible is disappearing fast.
- 76. Rand Fishkin, Wizardof Moz | @randfish | rand@moz.com bit.ly/whyseofails