GROWTH & THE FUTURE OF SEO
RYAN MEGHDIES
Organizers
Alex Sirota
Andy McIlwain
Dan Stramer
Jacques Surveyer
Jeremy Choi
Kristine Black
Robin Macrae
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
BEFORE WE DIVE IN…
BEFORE WE DIVE IN…
1) Everything ties together.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN…
1) Everything ties together.
2) Tailored to multiple levels.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN…
1) Everything ties together.
2) Tailored to multiple levels.
3) What you absorb is sufficient.
@rmeghdies
#1 – THE FUTURE OF SEO
Three Common “Future of SEO” Questions Today:
Three Common “Future of SEO” Questions Today:
Three Common “Future of SEO” Questions Today:
Three Common “Future of SEO” Questions Today:
@rmeghdies
Three Common “Future of SEO” Questions Today:
HOW DO YOU RANK IN “POSITION 0”?
&
The Answer…
The Answer…
A SPECIALIZED FORM OF SEO
CALLED “aiSEO”
@rmeghdies
The Answer…
A SPECIALIZED FORM OF SEO
CALLED “aiSEO”
The Answer…
Strong SEO
The Answer…
Strong SEO
If I had said that initially I’d likely lose the attention of many people because, I know...
The Answer…
Strong SEO
If I had said that initially I’d likely lose the attention of many people because, I know...
(1) “SEO is mysterious”
SEO is NOT a mystery box.
SEO is MEASURABLE
SEO is MEASURABLE
SEO is MEASURABLE
@rmeghdies
SEO is MEASURABLE
The Answer…
Strong SEO
If I had said that initially I’d likely lose the attention of many people because, I know...
(1) “SEO is mysterious”
The Answer…
Strong SEO
If I had said that initially I’d likely lose the attention of many people because, I know...
(1) “SEO is mysterious”
(2) “SEO has not worked for me”
SEO WORKS
DON’T GIVE UP
HOW DO YOU RANK IN “POSITION 0”?
&
STEP 1:
Create high quality content that answers people’s questions.
STEP 2A:
To show up in featured snippets...
STEP 2A:
Rank on the first page of Google for the search term.
@rmeghdies
STEP 2B:
To rank for “People also ask” …
STEP 2B:
Rank on the first page of Google for the search term or related searches.
STEP 3:
Enhance your metadata to improve Click-Through-Rate (CTR).
STEP 3:
Enhance your metadata to improve Click-Through-Rate (CTR).
If you are ranking on page one for a keyword, this is a significant engagement signal.
STEP 4:
Improve the organization of your content to make it more engaging.
@rmeghdies
STEP 4:
Improve the organization of your content to make it more engaging.
Google places significant importance on engagement. Google can’t necessarily figure out who is best, so it relies on human behaviour.
@rmeghdies
STEP 5:
To maintain ranking, if possible, continually enhance your content.
Why Do You Want To Rank Here?
Why Do You Want To Rank Here?
Source: https://moz.com/blog/infinite-people-also-ask-boxes
Why Do You Want To Rank Here?
Source: https://moz.com/blog/infinite-people-also-ask-boxes
1,723% growth
328% growth
Why Do You Want To Rank Here?
Source: https://moz.com/blog/infinite-people-also-ask-boxes
1,723% growth
328% growth
THAT WAS A 2016 STUDY
Preparing for The Future of SEO:
Preparing for The Future of SEO:
Answer: Strong SEO
@rmeghdies
Preparing for The Future of SEO:
SEO for Voice Search
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
Take note of the
search results.
VOICE SEARCH
Now let’s search Google
using voice.
VOICE SEARCH
Now let’s search Google
using voice.
VOICE SEARCH
Take note of the
search results.
VOICE SEARCH
Take note of the
search results.
The Answer…
The Answer…
A SPECIALIZED FORM OF SEO
CALLED “aiSEO”
The Answer…
Strong SEO
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF
VOICE SEARCH
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Calculations
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Simple Data Extraction
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TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
General Search Intent
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TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Local Search Intent
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TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
“Fake News”
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Informational
– Question Understood
– High Correlation
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Informational
– Question Understood
– High Correlation
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Informational
– Question Understood
– High Correlation
– Structure of Answer
Matches Search Intent
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Informational� – Uncertain of Question
– Low Correlation
@rmeghdies
TYPES OF VOICE SEARCH
Informational� – Uncertain of Question
– Low Correlation
@rmeghdies
OPTIMIZATION STEPS FOR VOICE SEARCH
STEP 1:
Create high quality content that answers people’s questions.
STEP 2:
Rank on the first page of Google for the search term or very closely related searches.
STEP 3:
Enhance your metadata to improve Click-Through-Rate (CTR).
If you are ranking on page one for a keyword, this is a significant engagement signal.
STEP 4:
Improve the organization of your content to make it easier to engage.
Google places significant importance on engagement. Google can’t necessarily figure out who is best, so it relies on human behaviour.
STEP 5:
To maintain ranking, if possible, continually enhance your content.
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
@rmeghdies
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
Ryan: “Yes?”
@rmeghdies
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
Ryan: “Yes?”
Audience: “That looks familiar…”
@rmeghdies
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
Ryan: “Yes?”
Audience: “That looks familiar…”
Ryan: “Good! You’re getting it.”
@rmeghdies
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
Ryan: “Yes?”
Audience: “That looks familiar…”
Ryan: “Good! You’re getting it.”
Ryan: “SEO makes sense.”
@rmeghdies
Audience: “Hey Ryan…”
Ryan: “Yes?”
Audience: “That looks familiar…”
Ryan: “Good! You’re getting it.”
Ryan: “SEO makes sense.”
Audience: “YAY!!!”
@rmeghdies
SEO is NOT a mystery box.
@rmeghdies
Preparing for The Future of SEO:
Answer: Strong SEO
So What Is The Future?
@rmeghdies
While no one can say for sure…
@rmeghdies
While no one can say for sure…
SEO is here to stay.
@rmeghdies
The goal of SEO has not changed, AI’s ability to achieve the goal has.
@rmeghdies
AI is getting better at providing users with the best answers to their questions and determining who will provide that answer with the best user experience.
@rmeghdies
User experience is not solely qualitative. There are quantitative factors.
@rmeghdies
The Google Speed Update
@rmeghdies
The Google Speed Update
“People want to be able to find answers to their questions as fast as possible — studies show that people really care about the speed of a page. Although speed has been used in ranking for some time, that signal was focused on desktop searches. Today we’re announcing that starting in July 2018, page speed will be a ranking factor for mobile searches.”
https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2018/01/using-page-speed-in-mobile-search.html
“Starting in July, page speed will become a major ranking factor for mobile searches.”
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/01/22/google-speed-update
Website speed has a significant impact on user experience, bounce rates, and conversion rates. These directly impact the effectiveness of your marketing and its ROI.
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/experience-design/mobile-page-speed-load-time/
@rmeghdies
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
#2 – SEO DRIVEN WEB DESIGN
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
OPTIMIZATION TIPS
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BETTER DESIGN�
BETTER SEO��VOICE SEARCH
Facilitates...
Which leads to results in...
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #1:
Google’s giving you answers…
VOICE SEARCH
Take note of the related
searches.
VOICE SEARCH
You can find them
on desktop too.
VOICE SEARCH
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #2:
Perform proper SEO research.
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #2:
Perform proper SEO research.
I’m going to show you how to increase your targeted searches by 233%.
@rmeghdies
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #2:
Let’s start with the math…
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #2:
Most of you are only targeting 30% of searches. Which means if you targeted the remaining 70%, the increase would be 233%.
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #2:
Most of you are only targeting 30% of searches. Which means if you targeted the remaining 70%, the increase would be 233%.
So what are these searches?
LONG TAIL SEARCHES
Source: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research
LONG TAIL SEARCHES
Source: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #3:
Continually enhance your content.
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #3:
Continually enhance your content.
VOICE SEARCH
Tip #3:
Continually enhance your content.
STEP 1:
Start with the
easy wins.
Filter out
any search
term in
position >9.
STEP 2:
Place the
query into
Google to
identify the
page being
ranked.
@rmeghdies
STEP 3:
Is this query
already on the
page?
STEP 3:
If not then...
Consider the
value and any
tradeoffs to
include it.
STEP 3:
If the query or close variant already exists, then assess the value of the opportunity and competitive SEO requirements.
@rmeghdies
STEP 3:
If not then...
Consider the
value and any
tradeoffs to
include it.
How do I determine if the content should become a new page or if I should adapt my existing content?
@rmeghdies
STEP 3:
If not then...
Consider the
value and any
tradeoffs to
include it.
How do I know which queries to prioritize? Do I need to target them all? Should I be getting data from elsewhere?
@rmeghdies
STEP 3:
You can increase keyword importance on a page using headings, keyword frequency, metadata, and other SEO techniques.
STEP 3:
Advanced Tip...
Increase internal linking. Consider building external links if traffic is high-value.
BETTER DESIGN�
STRONG SEO��VOICE SEARCH
Facilitates...
Which leads to results in...
@rmeghdies
BETTER DESIGN�
STRONG SEO��VOICE SEARCH
Facilitates...
Requires...
@rmeghdies
BETTER DESIGN�
STRONG CONTENT��VOICE SEARCH
Facilitates...
Requires...
@rmeghdies
BETTER DESIGN�
STRONG CONTENT��VOICE SEARCH
Used to inform...
Requires...
@rmeghdies
KEYWORD RESEARCH
CONTENT
Page: https://www.example.com/blog/article-1/
Content Changes:
[s] what happens when an elevator loses power
[s] do elevators stop when the power goes out
Next Steps:
Let's rejigg the existing headers so they are attention grabbing (very clear).
Page: https://www.example.com/blog/article-2/
Content Changes:
Do you have enough content to create a dedicated article on resetting elevators?
[s] How to reset an elevator after a power outage?
[s] How to reset an elevator after a fire alarm?
Next Steps:
We’ll be adjusting the current article to target the big 5 competitors; we’ve identified valuable traffic with this connection.
CONTENT
Page: https://www.example.com/blog/article-3/
Content Changes:
[il] what is the category 5 elevator full load testing procedure
[il] elevator testing & requirements
[s] elevator load test requirements & procedure
[p] what is a category 5 (cat 5) elevator test
[p] what is an elevator load test
[k] elevator full load test
[k] elevator 5 year full load test
[k] inspection
Next Steps:
Let’s discuss creating a resource to elevator testing. We’ll enhance visually the content and launch a link building campaign when the resource is ready.
CONTENT
Page: https://www.example.com/blog/article-3/
Content Changes:
[il] what is the category 5 elevator full load testing procedure
[il] elevator testing & requirements
[s] elevator load test requirements & procedure
[p] what is a category 5 (cat 5) elevator test
[p] what is an elevator load test
[k] elevator full load test
[k] elevator 5 year full load test
[k] inspection
Next Steps:
Let’s discuss creating a resource to elevator testing. We’ll enhance visually the content and launch a link building campaign when the resource is ready.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
#3 – GUTENBERG (WORDPRESS 5.0)
@rmeghdies
Loading & Performance
WordPress 5.0 hasn’t officially launched, but some early test results indicate superior performance.
SEO & Guttenberg
The introduction of blocks is exciting!
SEO & Guttenberg
The introduction of blocks is exciting!
@rmeghdies
What are blocks?
@rmeghdies
What are blocks?
Visually instantiated
and editable shortcodes
on steroids.
Reusable Blocks
A reusable block is a type of block that can be reused (or instantiated) on and throughout pages. A user can edit the block in one place and push the update across the entire website.
@rmeghdies
Reusable Blocks
A reusable block is a type of block that can be reused (or instantiated) on and throughout pages. A user can edit the block in one place and push the update across the entire website.
Reusable blocks are very powerful and a productive addition for SEOs.
@rmeghdies
Instantiating Reusable Blocks
Editing Reusable Blocks
Reusable Blocks for SEO
Reusable Blocks for SEO
Reusable Blocks
Efficiently push changes out to the entire website so you can spend more time on SEO and less time on implementation.
@rmeghdies
Questions?
@rmeghdies
Sponsors
Ryan Meghdies
ryan@tasticmarketing.com
Bonus Slides
LSI GRAPH
Position | Avg. CTR | % Increase | Traffic Share |
1 | 32.73 | 243.5% | 39.5% |
2 | 13.44 | 153.8% | 16.2% |
3 | 8.74 | 158.0% | 10.6% |
4 | 5.53 | 144.8% | 6.7% |
5 | 3.82 | 142.0% | 4.6% |
6 | 2.69 | 135.9% | 3.2% |
7 | 1.98 | 123.8% | 2.4% |
8 | 1.6 | 117.6% | 1.9% |
9 | 1.36 | 125.9% | 1.6% |
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION.
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