seo in 2011: what’s working, what’s not & where to focus
DESCRIPTION
My presentation from SMX Advanced London 2011 about the changes in SEO in 2011, what they mean and real-world examples of content & link building tactics.TRANSCRIPT
SEO In 2011: What’s Working, What’s Not
May 16, 2011
Max Thomas - Thunder SEO
• Online Marketing Agency
• Focus on SEO, SMM & Related Campaigns
• Based in San Diego, CA
• Clients: Local Businesses, Medical Industry, Apartments, Corporate Law Firms, Business-to-Business
What Was That?
PANDA/FARMER UPDATE
USA – February 2011
UK – April 2011
Ongoing updates throughout 2010
What Happened?
BIG SITES (and small sites too)
Rankings Dropped
Source: http://www.sistrix.com/blog/985-google-farmer-update-quest-for-quality.html
94% 90%
84%93%
What Does This Mean?
100’s of Factors - Boil It Down
Website
LinksRelevant
SitesActive URLs
Content Topical Engaging
Link Building Reality Check
Quantity
BUT
Linking Root Domains
My Site
My Competitor
Link Options?
Buy Links
Directories
Article Sites
Blog Comments
Link Wheels
PR Sites
Link Exchanges
Link Farms
Google Crack Down on Paid Link Schemes
(That NYTimes alerts them to.)
Matt Cutts Re: Panda (SMX West 11) – “We may
crawl less if you have poor quality.”
Link Options?
Links
Relevant
Engaging
Scale User
Focused
How?
CONTENT• Engaging
• Attracts Users
• People Want To Link To
• Spreads The Word
• Integral to Business
Tip #1Whenever possible…
Make Link Building Part Of How You Do Business
Vendor Badge
Business-Vendor Relationship
Crest CapitalEquipment
Leasing
Vendors
CustomersProvides Leasing
Vendors
Vendors
Sell Equipment
Lease Equipment
Vendor Badge
Vendor
Website
Leasing
App (Helps
Vendor)
Anchor
Text Link –
Biz Name &
Target K
W
Vendor Badge
Does It Work?
!!!!
Tip #2Whenever possible…
Create Community As Part Of Content Strategy
Guest Blogging Program
Company – Community Relationship
Pat Moore Foundation
Rehab Facility
PatientsHow To Help All Via A Web
Community & Expand Online
Presence
Addicts
Recovery
Guest Blogging Program
1
Announce “Official” Guest
Blogging Program On
Website
2
Outreach To “Maven” Bloggers
3
Feature Their Unique Posts On Website –
They Sign Their Own Names
5
Ask Blogger To Promote Their
Post On Website On
Their Own Blog
4
Create “Featured
Guest Blogger” Badge
Announce Program
www.PatMooreFoundation.com
Feature Guest Blog Posts
www.PatMooreFoundation.com
Spread The Word
Badges On Guest Blogger Websites
Guest Blogging Program
Does It Work?
• Blog comments (legit) have tripled
• New users commenting
• Two of top 10 referring sites (30 days)
• Qualified leads increased ~20%
• Inbound Links? Too soon to tell.
Tip #3Don’t Put All Your Eggs In Google’s Basket
• Diversify traffic channels
• Even if you follow all of Google’s guidelines, you’re still dependent on Google and it’s algorithm changes
• Think big picture
Search Focus vs. Diversified Traffic
Expensive Web Presence But Safer Strategy?
Great Community Website But Riskier?
Tip #4Experiment (Black Hat vs. White Hat)
• Constantly experiment and track…track…track
• Link Building – Larger site’s link profile, less impact from risky links
• Site Structure – Tread carefully; watch WebMaster Central and Webmaster Tools alerts closely
Tip #5Have Fun!!!
Remember:
GREAT CONTENT ROCKS!!!!
Thank You!
@thundermax
Facebook.com/thunderseo
For more details, visit
ThunderSEO.com…SEO 2011: What’s Working, What’s Not & Where To Focus