Guess What?

• Links existed before the invention of the PageRank!

In the Beginning....• Links were acquired because of their potential

to drive traffic

• Links had to be earned naturally, as they were human curated based on inherent value

The Perception of LINKS• When links became algorithmically

important, the paradigm shifted:High Rankings = $$$Many Links = High RankingsErgo;Links = $$

Losing the Way• Link acquisition efforts became mainly driven

for SEO purposes• This lead towards manipulative linking

schemes

Things Get CrazyTo compete, many enterprises engage in:

– Link buying– Automated link generation– Affiliate manipulation– Content farms – Link networks– And on & on....

Enter the Penguin• An update aimed at penalizing websites with

unnatural link profiles

• The diversity and composition of your link profile becomes increasingly important

Enter the Penguin• Penguin is a “behavior modification”algo

update

• Shot across the bow against manipulative linking practices

The Post-Penguin Shift

• It was completely devastating for some businesses...

The Post-Penguin Shift

The Post-Penguin Shift• Most businesses have changed the way they

do link-building

The Post-Penguin Shift

• PP (Post-Penguin), we’re called to remember the original impetus for building links: traffic & engagement...

The Post-Penguin Shift

• Major market shift towards content-strategies

The Post-Penguin Shift

• Return to evaluating links based on potential to send traffic and build audiences

The Post-Penguin Shift

• Abandonment of manipulative linking strategies

View Links the Way Google (Ideally) View Them

Great links:– Can drive targeted traffic

– Are earned naturally based on merit

– Are helpful to the user/reader

– Help make the web a better resource

Evaluate links from multiple angles• Would your Director of SEO like this link?• Would your PR team like this link?• Would a Google Quality Rater like this link?• Would you show this link to the audience here at SES?• Would your CEO like this link?• Would Matt Cutts like this link?

If you answered NO to any of these questions…

...you probably don’t want that link, and you may need reconsider your link building strategy.

Good Links Are Earned:

• Providing true value with content

Good Links Are Earned:

• By leveraging existing [and creating new] relationships

Good Links Are Earned:

• By being different and noteworthy

Enterprises Can Best Leverage:• Your People• Your Relationships• Your Brand Recognition & Trust• Your Knowledge Base and Experience

But Don’t Forget…The Bigger they are, the harder they fall

Larger and more well known brands are more likely to be under the the web’s “microscope”

The Goals of Content Marketing

• Create a defensible link-profile• Drive traffic• Increase brand exposure• Create immediate conversion events

Methods for Effective Content Marketing

• Strategy: A plan of action for creating and marketing content

• Production: Creating Differentiated content

• Promotion: Getting exposure for the content you create

Content Strategies

• 6-12+ month plans are typical

• Involve deep niche research– Content opportunities in the marketplace– Competitive analysis

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in differentscenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics– In-Depth Articles

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics– In-Depth Articles– Videos

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics– In-Depth Articles– Videos– Blog posts

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics– In-Depth Articles– Videos– Blog posts– Kinetic Typography

Content ProductionDifferent content mediums are better in different scenarios, depending on goals

• Content types include:– Infographics– Motion Graphics– In-Depth Articles– Videos– Blog posts– Kinetic Typography– Interactive Infographics– HTML5 content

Content PromotionTwo Major Targets for promoting content– Social, distributed audiences– Established, large, centralized audiences

Content PromotionThere are two primary methods utilized for gaining exposure for content:

– Blogger Outreach and Online PR– Social Media Promotion

Content PromotionGreat Content Can be Forgotten, This is Not a Field of Dreams– Leverage Relationships and Get Content Hosted on

Influential 3rd Party Sites

– Expand Your Messaging to Audiences and Transition them into Brand Advocates

We produced powerful infographics under tight deadlines for the Christmas holiday season

– IG content featured on Mashable.com

– Secured strategic content syndication relationships with major pet related sites Dogster.com and TheDogFiles.com

– Achieved placement of IG’s multiple times on major Yahoo! Content properties such as Yahoo! Shine

– Content shared by a number of celebrities on Twitter including Alyssa Milano & Guy Kawasaki

Begin With a Strategy of Differentiation

The key is finding ways to demonstrate value over the competition.

Find Ways to be DifferentWhat can your business offer that your competition can’t? Create remarkable content based on that

Find Ways to be DifferentWhat information, stats or data does your business have that is not well known in the marketplace?Create remarkable content based on that

Leverage your peopleBigger businesses have untapped power in their human elementGreat content comes from experts with a passion for your business and industry.Use this to your advantage

Leverage your marketing materials• Digital content can often serve a dual purpose,

and be used as sales/marketing collateral offline

• Use this to your advantage

Ditch the SilosGreat content strategies rely on a strategic intersection of sales, marketing, PR, and SEO

Ditch the SilosSales, Marketing & PR need to work together

Bring these teams together and work symbiotically

Leverage RelationshipsLinks and exposure are more easily earned through existing relationships.

This is one of the biggest advantage enterprises have over their smaller competitors

You Have a Deep Well of Knowledge & Experience

• Enterprises can leverage their more entrenched and intimate knowledge of their industry to create differentiated content

Get Buy In: (Wow your internal audience)

• Proving the value of content initiatives is essential to secure commitment of long-term strategies.

Get Buy In: (Wow your internal audience)

• Promote your content internally and find ways to create content that will be popular internally to create buy-in from all stakeholders

Putting Theory into Action

• Great content strategies rely on symbiotic agency-client partnerships

The Client-Agency Relationship• Agencies must prove they

are invested in understanding AND championing your brand.

The Client-Agency Relationship• True partnerships are structured in a way

where you win or lose together.

The Client-Agency Relationship• Everything starts with fostering education and

education for the agency about the client’s needs and position in the marketplace

Takeaways• There’s a return towards evaluating links

based on their inherent ability to drive traffic• Manipulative linking should be avoided at all

costs.

Takeaways• Content is the driving force behind high-

quality, natural link acquisition

• Content marketing has the primary goal of helping a client achieve recognition through differentiated content

Takeaways• Enterprises have an advantage in their

knowledge, people and relationships

• Content marketing is the solution for long-term growth, and relies on the creation and promotion of high quality content.

Takeaways• Quick wins and internal promotional strategies

help create intra-company buy-in

• Agency relationships need to be “partnerships” based on deep understanding of mutual goals