How to Fix Failing SEO Efforts
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Transcript of How to Fix Failing SEO Efforts
Affiliate Summit West 2010
Fixing Failing SEO efforts
Wil Reynolds (@wilreynolds)SEER Interactive
Be a Tiger – Be Focused
Be a Tiger
Regardless of transgressions, Tiger Woods is someone who always wants to be on top.
Be a Tiger
Seriously, even when at the top of his game, he re-invented his swing. Its hard to change when you are #1.
Always room for improvement• IDENTIFY Low Competition Opportunities• KILLING the Long Tail• ANALYZING Universal search impact• Analysis of relationship ranking/traffic
You all need an SEO…..
Company?
SEO
Get off the SEO CRACK
No Crack?Good
Lets get to work
How competitive is the space?• How do you determine “competitiveness”?
• Homepages vs sub pages ranking on page 1?• # of links pointing in?• # of deep links?• Adwords competitiveness?• CPCs?
How competitive is the space?#1 – 1,200#2 – 1,250,000#3 – 355,000#4 – 4,000#5 – 13,000#6 – 3,200#7 – 300,000#8 – 1,240,000#9 – 186#10 – 4,400
* Yahoo Site Explorer
SearchesBroad = 335,000Phrase = 275,000
Advertiser Competition = Highest possible
* Google Adwords Sandbox
Raw # of links - wrong• # of links vs # of unique linking domains – start
• How do you find this?• Linkscape (paid)• Majestic SEO (paid)• Yahoo Site Explorer
• Authority of linking sites?• Sometimes these get buried?• Links from NYT – Redbook – GQ – Shape – O Magazine
can be useless
Raw # of links - wrong• Authority of linking sites?
• Sometimes these get buried?• Links from NYT – Redbook – GQ – Shape – O Magazine
can be useless• Develop strategies to maximize the impact
• Deep links to these pages• Social site submissions / promotion
How Linkscape helped me• VERY competitive space • Client is consistently around 18 – 25 (started in 100’s)• Was on page 1 (3M searches / mo – highly commercial)• Had links from authority sites / magazines• Well respected CEO• Great tech team implementing our recommendations
We’re not moving up anymore!!
Who to Analyze?• Sites that were clearly inferior but OUTRANKING
us• Not a major brand / household name• Did not have keywords in the domain• Less domain age
Who to Analyze?
Picking the wrong sites will render your research useless
Who to Analyze?• You learn about linking strategies much
more from a site that is NOT a major brand
• You can’t always replicate the ways big brands get links
• Or their massive ad budgets
How I used LinkscapeI was able to bring in the following data about back links:
• Anchor text• Image or text link• # of links• No-followed?• IP Block• Domain Trust/Authority• PageRank (MozTrust)
MUST bring this into Excel!!!
Linkscape Analysis – Common TrendsDo competitors beat you on?
Mozrank Passed?No followed links?Authority?Age?Raw # of links?
Greatest Findings• Authority links were not passing juice• Deep into archives (10-12 clicks away)• Never used target anchor text• Competitors were getting hundreds of
anchor text links, from lower authority sites (blogrolls)
Biggest Findings
1 authority link from NYT (buried) ≠ 15 anchor text links in blogrolls / homepage sponsors
New link strategy was required
New Link Strategy
Not about one offs (guest blog posts)Not about authority
Unless we can dictate anchor textUnless we can get placement in plain
HTMLIS about heavy anchor textIS about networks
Your Takeaways
DEEP analysis of your competitors (who are ranking above you) is one of the first steps in SEO today.
Your Takeaways – Anchor Text# of links is no longer sufficient
Authority links are not always better than ads / sponsorships where you can’t dictate anchor text.
Watch anchor text rich links in blog posts (they get archived).
Homepage anchor text links to something 4 clicks away = ranking fluctuations
Affiliate Threat Level is Severe
Biggest Threat to affiliates – Shopping Results
Biggest Threat to Affiliates – Universal Search
Don’t WHINE about GOOGLE
Fight Back
Fight Back•Buying Guides•Review / Best / Top Content•Niche, Niche, Niche
Fight Back – Buying Guides
Fight BackListing buying guides in shopping results is new
Google is in a constant state of flux
It is a hint that Google may like “guide” content
Fight Back – Buying Guides
Fight Back – Niche Content
Fight Back – Niche Content
Fight Back – Niche Content
Minimal UNIVERSAL RESULTS
Go where the big brands aren’t
Hit the long tail, HARD
Athletic Shoes Site – Google Adwords Sandbox
Hit the long tail, HARD
Athletic Shoes Site – Google Suggest (generate content ideas)
Hit the long tail, HARD
Athletic Shoes Site – Yahoo Search Assist
Hit the long tail, HARDAthletic Shoes Site – Google Insights
Hit the long tail, HARD
Athletic Shoes Site – Google Insights
Hit the long tail, HARD
Athletic Shoes Site – Google Insights Rising Searches
Google Insights – Rising Searches
2004 - Present Last 12 months
Know the optionsInsights is a powerful tool, but without setting the right options, you’ll be making decisions on wrong data
Impact of Threat
Running in a panic is never a good thing
Panic = you become someone’s floor cover
Ask these guys
Panicking Zebra’s become food or floors
Ask these guys
Impact of Threat – Get Smart, Get Strategic
What you’ll needRanking Checker
Capture the SERPSAnalytics w/ AlertsWebmaster Tools
Determining the Impact
My ranking checker of choice is Raven Tools•API•Captures SERPs•Tons of other features
Impact of Threat – Rank Checking
Universal search can impact CTRs for your top traffic driving queries
Rank CheckerOpen your historical ranking trackerDon’t look for a BIG ranking dropLook for inclusion of universal search
Impact of Threat – Google Analytics
Analytics AlertsAt least 2 weeks Traffic and/or conversions declines significantlyGoogle Intelligence Report (Beta)
Automatic Notification!!!!!
Impact of Threat – Google Analytics – How-To
Impact of Threat – Google Analytics – How-To
Google Webmaster Tools
Webmaster Tools – Identify Impact of Universal
View Click through Percentage By Month
If your position is similar yet your click through % decreases / increases that is an indication to look deeper into universal search factors impacting your CTR.
Note: I have seen Google be way off in the ranking report, but it appears to be getting better.
Never rest, Google isn’t!
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
http://www.twitter.com/wilreynolds
http://www.youtube.com/wilreynolds
http://www.delicious.com/wilreynolds
http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog