Punk Rock SEO from State of Search 2015

#StateOfSearch#PunkRockSEO

@mike_arnesenupbuild.io

Punk Rock SEOState of Search 2015



Hey State of Search!!!

Mike ArnesenFounder & CEO at UpBuildupbuild.io

This is me now



This was me then

MikkeiGuitaristPunk



So what happened?



I decided it was time to get a real job.

I fell into this SEO thing.

So what happened?



F the Man?



I’m still a punk...kinda



Shout out to TheHardTimes.net



Navigating bureaucracies was…

frustrating



Making a lot of noiseor

doing it yourselfand generally

making shit happen

Getting results looked a lot like this



Values Here



Values Here

Anti-Establishment



Values Here

Anti-Establishment

Part of the Scene



Values Here

Anti-Establishment

Part of the Scene

Do It Yourself



Values Here

Anti-Establishment

Part of the Scene

Do It Yourself

Play it Faster, Forget Perfection



There are two choices



Por que no los dos?



State of Search = One Big Punk ShowIt’s Day 2.

Let’s get worked up, get wild, and make some change



13 Punk Rock Lessonsfor SEOs & marketers



Adopt a DIY Ethic

“We had no idea how to make a record. We took apart a sleeve from a 7-inch record to see how it was configured."



“We opened it up, sketched it on a piece of paper, put our own art into that and took it to a print shop. Then using scissors and glue, we cut and folded every single record sleeve."- Ian MacKaye

Adopt a DIY Ethic



Take a DIY-first approach. Don’t wait for budget. Don’t wait for resources.

Take things apart to see how they workand then do it yourself!

Adopt a DIY Ethic



Join a Band

You need other people.

Nobody cares about the singer’s acoustic project.

Good things happen when like-minded people play together.



It’s hard to be successful in SEO by yourself.

Find those who are as stoked about SEO as you are and create a work group.

Join a Band



“Against the grainThat's where I'll staySwimming upstreamI maintain against the grain”- Greg Graffin, Bad Religion

Go Against the Grain



Note where everyone’s going.

That place’ll be lame in a few years.

Go against the grain. Swim upstream.




The tactics, hacks, and sites that everyone’s using will get overused.

Look for the unconventional, hard to get SEO opportunities. These will outlast the others.




It’s not enough to play a good song.

Show your audience you mean it once you have their attention.

Play faster, rock out harder than anyone else.

Songs Aren’t Enough



Nobody wants to grill with Rich.

0 external links2 tweets in 3 years

More info at www.sadtrombone.com





“Good” content doesn’t deserve attention just for existing.

If you aren’t absolutely stoked about your content

no one else is going to be either.



You’ve gotta play songs about the change they want to see,

about who they want to be.

Don’t play songs about how their mom got them a leather jacket for Christmas.

Know Your Audience



Know Your Audience

You want your audience to recommend your content?

Don’t create content about who they are. Create content that speaks to who they

want to be.



Know where to flyer

Cross promote and help others

Sell Out The Show



Sell Out The Show

Be smart and efficient. Spread your message where it’s going to be heard.

Find where your audience hangs out and post there, not where the most traffic is.



Sell Out The Show

On, and make sure you have a solid set.

Practice and share something great. Don’t earn a reputation for being

a waste of time.



Being covered means you did something awesome.

Covering another band’s songsallows you to learn and shows where your strengths are.

Covers Are Awesome



Turn over your ideas to the community and interpret the ideas of others. Everyone wins.

Covers Are Awesome



Pop punk caught on because it appealed to a lot of people.

There was something there.

Pop Isn’t Always Bad



You can still learn from the popular bands, even if you hate them.

Analyze brands getting the results you want. Leverage their tactics to spread your content.

Pop Isn’t Always Bad



One band put in the work to look like an overnight success.

The Ceremony Lesson



The Ceremony Lesson

If you want your content to succeed, you need to put in the effort and

make an investment up front.



The Ceremony Lesson

❏ Build a foundation first.❏ Involve people you know and respect. ❏ Let your fans know about what you’re doing. ❏ Leverage social momentum.

It’s a gamble, but your odds go up with increased effort.



The Ceremony Lesson

It’s great to have ROI goals, but...

Only using ideas with a proven ROI is why we've had to deal with

shitty infographics for 5 years.



Tear It All Down

Tear it down, brick by brick.

Dismantle the system that doesn’t work.Replace it with something better.



Tear It All Down

You can’t change the world overnight.

Pick one thing to tear down and rebuild.Soon, you’ll have built something

completely new.



Nothing you buy from a retail store is punk.

Just sayin’.

Mass Production Isn’t Punk



Mass Production Isn’t Punk

Beware of anything claiming to be a “One Stop Shop” or an “SEO Solution”.

Tools only get your so far. A good tool is not an “SEO Tool”;

it’s a “Tool for SEOs”.



Seek to change what pisses you off.

Pick your battle and fight it.

Anger & Frustration



Let the hateflow through you.

Anger & Frustration



Anger & Frustration

Get into the habit of getting mad about crappy search results.

Don’t do SEO because it’s your job.Do it because the SERPs suck.



Anger & Frustration

Meet Jarno

He was pissed about microdata

...so he changed HTML5.



http://codepen.io/mike_arnesen/pen/MaLJBW.html

Enter ItemID



Learn to be comfortable in the center of the chaos.

There’s a place of peace and clarity in the circle pit.

There’s A Place of Peace



There’s A Place of Peace

Learn to accept uncertaintyand turmoil in SEO.

Get up when you stumble and keep moving.



Thank you!



Slide Deck bit.ly/punkrockseo

Blog Post Version upbuild.io/blog/punk-rock-seo

Punk Rock SEO Playlist bit.ly/punkrockseoplaylist

Punk Rock SEO Resources

www.upbuild.io

http://bit.ly/punkrockseo

http://bit.ly/punkrockseo

http://www.upbuild.io/blog/punk-rock-seo

http://www.upbuild.io/blog/punk-rock-seo

http://bit.ly/punkrockseoplaylist

http://bit.ly/punkrockseoplaylist

Punk Rock SEO from State of Search 2015

Marketing

Transcript of Punk Rock SEO from State of Search 2015