SMX West 2014: The Best of the Best Takeaways - Part Deuce

transcript

SMX West 2014

Takeaways

Part DeuceCreated by @Matt_Dimock of .

Table of Contents

Social

Linking

Mobile

Food for Thought

Created by @Matt_Dimock of .

Social

Social“Create a Google+ account so you can setup authorship.

Doesn't mean you have to use it.”- Danny Sullivan

Social“Don't focus so much on creating endless streams of

contenton Google Plus Local.”

- Adam Dorfman

Social

“Customize your Google+ page. Use a banner, images & video to differentiate yourself from competitors.”

- Adam Dorfman

Social“Google+ description doesn't impact rankings much, but

great for driving funneled traffic to landing pages.”- Adam Dorfman

Social“Use the Open Graph Metabox WordPress plugin to

customize how blog posts display on social platforms.”- Greg Gifford

Linking

Linking“If you buy links, just make sure we are aware of it.”

“The computers NEVER forget.”- Duane Forrester

Linking

Q: “Should I proactively disavow bad links?” �A: “Yes, if there is a worrisome amount. Disavow at domain

level.”

Q: “Can you show all bad links in GWT so we can disavow bad ones?

A: “No, but we give you 100,000 links to review.” �- Matt Cutts

Mobile

“People should be thinking about mobile first.We'll be more likely to show mobile search errors.”

Q: “What is mobile friendly?” �A: “There are different good strategies.

But DON'T redirect all pages to the home page!” �

Q: “Will mobile site ranking impact desktop rankings?” �A: “Not likely.

- Matt Cutts

SEOUnderstanding Hummingbird

“Google is trying to understand the intent, context and entities of a search.”

- Marcus Tober

Hummingbird is about three things:1. Contextual search2. Conversational search3. Semantic search

SEOExample of Contextual Search

SEOExample of Conversational Search

SEOExample of Semantic Search

SEOUnderstanding Hummingbird

• Pre-Hummingbird, 4/10 ranking pages matchedfor semantic searches. Post-Hummingbird: 9/10.

• As a result, # of unique domains dropping week by week.

• There was no increase to knowledge graph integrations.

• Hummingbird is a work in progress.Created by @Matt_Dimock of .

SEOHummingbird Tips

• Incorporate Google Instant suggestions withinyour content.

• Write conversational content!

• Consider an FAQ page.

SEOUnderstanding Schema

“You should include structured data on your website tocapitalize on rich snippets.”

- Janet Miller

SEOTypes of Schema

• Creative Works• Embedded non-text objects• Organization• Event• Person• Local Business• Product• Review

SEOSchema Tips

• Only use what’s relevant to your business.

• Use video schema

• Use aggregatedreviews schema

SEOUnderstanding Local SEO

“Create iconic pieces of content that are locally targeted!”

“Blog about your community on your local landing pages; don't be vain!” - Greg Gifford

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Easiest way to identify a Google Places page: look for a map.

• No custom categories = sucks for niche businesses.

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Dot your i‘s and cross your t’s.

• Great local aggregator tools:• Localeze• Info USA• Acxiom

• Using geographic modifier in Google Places listing = OK!

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

• Google states not to manually merge Google Plus/Places.

• Use consistent themes for local listings.

• Apple Maps reaches 23% of smartphone users.

• Google Places = highest priority for directory building.

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Prioritize directory building (quality 1st, suckiest 2nd):• Yext• Moz Local

• Bing Local = easiest directory to claim.

• Yahoo Local = hardest directory to claim.

• Email YP support for directory verification help.

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Only pay for enhanced listings on Yelp as test pilot.

• Maintain consistent NAP & use company e-mail.

• Capitalize on Barnacle SEO!

• Vertical directories are ranking very well recently.

• Use City, ST in content, URL, metas & alt tags

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Embed a Google Map.

• Toll free call tracking #’s =BAD for SEO.

• Local call tracking #’s =OK for SEO.

• Sponsor local events & createlocal event guides.

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Create a local resource directory.

• Build links to local landing pages.

• Build directories within your niche.

• Rebranding your local business will be a huge endeavor.

• Threshold for # of reviews needed to rank well.

SEOLocal SEO Tips

“If you want to kick @$$, and you’re all out of bubblegum,

you have to build citations.”- Greg Gifford

SEOLocal SEO Tips

• Unstructured citations still count!

• Clean up citations & expect big results.

• Local SEO tools:• Whitespark• BrightLocal• PlacesScout

SEOQ&A with Matt Cutts

Q: “Will new TLD domainsinfluence better rankings?”.� A: “No.”�

Q: “Is filtering out hack sites a priority?”.�A: “Very important priority. Helping people identify via GWT.”

Q: "Are Penguin updates on a 6 month refresh interval?”.�A: “It depends on what we have in the works, but yeah.”

“If you got hacked and repaired it,it should not affect your rankingsfor long term.” �

Q: “Can iFrames be read?” � A: “They can.”

Q: “When will you update theGoogle Webmaster Tools keyword data?” �A: “It's on the list. Not sure when.”

Q: “Is there AuthorRank?” �A: “ AuthorRank is used in one way:in-depth articles!”

Q: “Do we need to be worried aboutnegative SEO?” �A: “I don't think so. We try to make sure our algorithms are negative SEO resistant.”

“We're also working on the next generation of Panda. DON'T PANIC! It'll appear more fierce to a small %.” �

“Some themes Google will beworking on this year:mobile, SSL and JavaScript.”

“We're looking at revampingWebmaster Academy.”

“Don't just talk about recent events. Put it into context. Give historical insight!”

�Created by @Matt_Dimock of .

Q: “How do you prioritize yourmarketing efforts?”

• Content

• Usability

• Social Media

• Link Building

• SEO

Food for Thought

Food for Thought“The measurement of successful SEO has changed. �

Stop relying on just ranking reports!”- Janet Miller

“If your traffic for IE8 looks like it drops for a few weeks, don't panic. It'll only be temporary.”

- Matt Cutts

“We are at the end of stupid for this industry.”- Brian Clark

“It's not just our jobs to setup the sites and walk away.”- Justin Sanger

Food for Thought“Data has got to become a bigger part of our jobs.”

- Unknown

“2/3 of sales require more than one click for completion.”- Brad Geddes

“Panda updates daily behind the scenes;Penguin about every 6 months.”

“Unblock your CSS files so Google can properly crawl your site.”

- Matt Cutts

The End

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SMX West 2014: The Best of the Best Takeaways - Part Deuce

Marketing