SERPs: They're Not All About You - Keith L. Goode - Pubcon Austin 2016

#pubcon@keithgoode

SERPs: They’re Not

All About You

Presented by:Keith L. GoodeChief SEO Evangelist, seoClarity

#pubcon@keithgoode

#pubcon@keithgoode

What’s in a SERP Anyway?

“What you put on your website pages isn’t necessarily what shows up on the SERPs. Title tags, descriptions, and 3 pack lines can show almost anything on Google SERPs. This session will look at SEO techniques and systems for getting good click through rates to the page, while effectively controlling what shows up on the SERPs.”

#pubcon@keithgoode

IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT WHAT SEOS WANT

A Little History…

#pubcon@keithgoode

Remember NOODP and NOYDIR?

#pubcon@keithgoode

I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people.

I am looking at the eyes

of a man who wants

to stuff keywords in

his titles.

#pubcon@keithgoode

Algorithm-Chasers Go All In On Temporarily Effective

Tactics

#pubcon@keithgoode

Recommended Viewing/Reading

https://moz.com/blog/8-old-school-seo-practices-not-effective-whiteboard-friday

#pubcon@keithgoode

Tap Into the Evolutionary Direction of the Algorithm

#pubcon@keithgoode

Change Your Perspective, Change Your World

For more on Search Experience Optimization: http://bit.ly/1JKxigC

#pubcon@keithgoode

IN THE SERPSHappening Now

#pubcon@keithgoode

Did you know?Google is Rewriting Titles?

23%Titles for Top 5 Ranking URLs

Rewritten

#pubcon@keithgoode

Did you know?Local Results Aren’t Just for Local Queries?

6.1%of ALL Keywords

Contain Local Listings

#pubcon@keithgoode

Did you know?Google is Showing Instant Answer for Non-question Queries?

3.6%

of KeywordsContain Instant Answers

#pubcon@keithgoode

The Happening #1:

NO! Not THAT Happening!

#pubcon@keithgoode

Google is Reducing the Size of SERPs

16.3%Queries Show Fewer than 100 Results

Happening #1: Google’s Big Squeeze

#pubcon@keithgoode


http://bit.ly/22vNuLi

#pubcon@keithgoode


#pubcon@keithgoode

What Does it Mean for …?USERS SEOs

Who goes past Page 2 anyway?

Much harder to get baseline

ranking data?

#pubcon@keithgoode

https://flic.kr/p/emQ7ku

What Do I Do With This Information?

#pubcon@keithgoode

Realigning Metrics for True SuccessYes… But…

Traffic increases are a measure of online success

Stickiness and Conversion Rates tell you if it’s good

traffic or notRankings are

highly influenced by links

Links are earned as a result of a

Great Product or Great Content

Targeting keywords in

content establishes relevance

Being relevant for Topics, rather than keywords, establishes broader

Relevance

#pubcon@keithgoode

Happening #2: Title Rewrites

#pubcon@keithgoode


23%Titles for Top 5 Ranking URLs

Rewritten

#pubcon@keithgoode

Happening #2: Title RewritesThe Problem:

What you want

What you get

#pubcon@keithgoode

Happening #2: Title RewritesWe Looked at:

– Top 5 Ranking URLs for 50,000 Keywords– 200,000 SERP listings– Titles in Google vs. On Site

#pubcon@keithgoode

1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 >1000%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Rewritten Not Rewritten


#pubcon@keithgoode

1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 101-1100%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%Happening #2: Title Rewrites E-Commerce

Edition

#pubcon@keithgoode

Happening #2: Title RewritesReasons Google Will Change Your Title:1. Length2. Extraneous Text3. Extraneous Branding4. Duplication or Near Duplicates5. Hokey Markup :-) :: **

#pubcon@keithgoode

What Can I Do?

https://flic.kr/p/a8vEBr

#pubcon@keithgoode

Control What You Can Control• Keep Title Concise and Relevant• Mitigate Duplication on Search Refinement

Pages– Rel “next” and “prev”– Rel “canonical”– Nofollow and noindex for extremely granular search

refinements• Focus on Topics. Don’t Stuff with Tons of

Variations

#pubcon@keithgoode

Happening #3: Lost Real Estate

“Hey! Yeah you! Users. Please scroll down. There are organic results down here.

#pubcon@keithgoode

Why Enterprise SEOs Should Care About Local

>93%

In #1 position

#pubcon@keithgoode

No Local Intent in

my search

Happening #3: Lost Real Estate

“Hey! Yeah you! Users. Please scroll down. There are organic results down here.

#pubcon@keithgoode

Why Enterprise SEOs Should Care About Local

6.1%Of All Keywords

Contain Local Listings

#pubcon@keithgoode

Knowledge Graph Instant Answers• Provide an answer to

specific queries• Answer comes from an

external source• External source

attribution provided

#pubcon@keithgoode

Knowledge Graph Instant Answers

Wait! Did I ask a question?Sucks to be

in Position 5.

#pubcon@keithgoode


3.6% Keywords

Contain Instant Answers

#pubcon@keithgoode


15% - 30% CTR!

#pubcon@keithgoode

What Works? What Doesn’t?

40

YES NO• How-To’s• Guides• Instruction

Instructional

• Weather• Stocks• GDP

Public

#pubcon@keithgoode

Example of an Instant Answer

#pubcon@keithgoode

Example of an Instant AnswerNote: being in Position 1 is not required.

Position 10

#pubcon@keithgoode

Elements of an Instant Answer

In the Snippet:• Clear step-by-step

instructions• Friendly URLs

#pubcon@keithgoode


Not “metal fence” but

“wrought iron.” RankBrain?

Position on page is not completely

above the fold

#pubcon@keithgoode


Ordered or

Unordered List

List items are

H5 headers

H5’s are succinct and

clear

#pubcon@keithgoode

More Information AvailableOn the seoClarity blog:

http://bit.ly/1SBt3XA

#pubcon@keithgoode

Advancing A.I. = Personalized SERPs

=The perfect answer for you.

#pubcon@keithgoode

Organizational Shifts to Match the SERPs• Democratize SEO in your Enterprise• Adopt a User-First Approach to Everything

– Yes: Adopt Best Practices– No: Don’t Focus on the Latest Tricks

• Focus on the Experience, Not the Engines

#pubcon@keithgoode

Your Presenter

20 years of Online Experience– AMD– HomeAway.com– Builders Digital Experience– SpareFoot.com

Dell (4 years)– SEO Technology Lead, DCS (formerly eDell)– Technical SEO Instructor

Currently– Chief SEO Evangelist, seoClarity

www.linkedin.com/in/keithlgoode

@keithgoode

Keith L. Goode, Chief SEO Evangelist

#pubcon@keithgoode

THANK YOU!

Happy Trails!

SERPs: They're Not All About You - Keith L. Goode - Pubcon Austin 2016

Internet

Transcript of SERPs: They're Not All About You - Keith L. Goode - Pubcon Austin 2016