SEO Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Presented by Nate DameFounder/President, SEOperks

Agenda

• Panda and Penguin updates• Link building - what works today & forever• Google’s new Disavow Tool• Social Media & Content Marketing• Next steps

Overview: The Panda Updates

Panda Update Explained

Penguin Update

Watch the SEOperks blog for more about Penguin.

Today’s SEO Landscape

Panda: Focus on user experience.Penguin: Don’t break the rules.

Pitfall #1: Questionable Link Building

Real Links

Link Building the Right Way

• Do meaningful stuff• Build authentic relationships (new and old)• PR (both ways)

How Links are EarnedNo Yes

BREAKING NEWS: Disavow Tool

Pitfall #2: Thin Content

Answer, Please?!?

Impact of a Content Buildout

Deep Content Example

Deep Content Example

Content: Where to Start

Create Content That:• Addresses your industry’s pain points.• Informs your niche’s “buyer” keywords.• Focuses on real people.Stalk your competitors for ideas, too.

Next:• Link bait campaigns.• Broader Content Marketing.

Pitfall #3: On-site Manipulation

Pitfall #4: Rely on Social Media for the Wrong Things

Source: SEOmoz’s Search Ranking Factorshttp://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors

Link Building (42% total)

Social Media(7% total)

Use Social Media to Earn Links!

More fun: http://www.bitrebels.com/social/how-social-media-is-making-us-awkward-infographic/

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/social-media-is-making-us-awkward--some-graphs/2012/06/26/gJQAL0ZT4V_blog.html

From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/social-media-is-making-us-awkward--some-graphs/2012/06/26/gJQAL0ZT4V_blog.html

Don’t Forget Google+

Pitfall #5: Ignore Content Marketing

Content Marketing at it’s Best

Pitfall #6: Cheap SEO

Pitfall #7: Stop Learning

So What Now?

Identify SEO Goals

Where are we going?• Who is your target customer?• What “buyer” keyword are they using?• What “research” keywords are they using?• What are the steps in our sales funnel?• What are the steps we can measure on our

website (lead form, Add to Cart button, etc.)?• What reporting methods are we using?

On-site SEO (technical)

Do search engines see my site?• Is your site accessible to search engines?• Is your site easy for search engines to navigate?• Is your site performance an issue?• Duplicate content: Do search engines don’t see

your site “doubled”? (surprisingly common)• Etc.

Content Strategy Foundations

Content is the foundation.• Do you have helpful, resourceful and

informative content on your website for your target keywords?

• Is your content user focused?• Is your content strategy fresh - frequently

updated?• Do you have an active social media presence?

User Experience

Does my site convert?• Is your site structure and layout designed with real

people in mind first, search engines second?• Does your site have a modern, uncluttered design?• Does your site have a trustworthy look and layout?• Does your site generate leads and sales?• Have I identified and addressed the drop points in

my conversion funnel?

Content Marketing Strategy

Does my content strategy pull my marketing, sales and SEO together for maximum return?• Have you identified your industries pain points?• Have you developed deep content to address those pain

points?• Is your content strategy coordinated with your sales and

marketing funnel to increase leads and close sales?• Does your content strategy have the potential to go viral?• Is your content received favorably and spread throughout

relevant social networks?

Link Building

Is my site earning links?• Have you established realistic link building goals? • Have you identified your target partners?• Do you monitor your target link partner’s websites for linking

opportunities?• Have you setup Google Alerts to identify new linking

opportunities?• Do you have an outreach strategy integrated with your editorial

calendar to maximize new link opportunities?• Is your outreach team equipped with the research, tracking and

reporting tools they need?

Questions to ask your SEO company.

• What is your approach to link building?Listen for words that you want to hear such as “natural link development,” “content strategy / content marketing,” and above all “relational link building.”

• How does SEO fit in the bigger picture of online marketing?SEO is inseparable from practically every aspect of online marketing and is even impacted by offline marketing. Be concerned if they say that SEO can work effectively as a siloed approach, or if they don’t need any coordination with you to be effective.

• Can you promise me #1 rankings for my priority keywords?This is a trick question. You want to hear “no” because no SEO company can guarantee those results.

Questions?

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Nate Dame (@seonate)Founder / Presidentnate@seoperks.com (312) 870-0056

Peter RyanDirector of Salespeter.ryan@seoperks.com(262) 894-6360