ORGANIC SEARCH
The Past, The Present, The Future
Monika Grzankowska
Organic Marketing
Manager
Steve Brown
Organic Marketing
Manager
Getting good visibility
online is getting
harder:
• There is so much
competition
• Google is changing
But... the future is still
bright.
A lot has changed
THEPAST
Figure out how to make Google put you on
the first page (at the top please…)
• As more and more websites
were created - the first search
engines were designed to help
with structure and accessibility
• Excite (1993) was the first and
shortly after major
competitors like Yahoo (1994)
& Google (1997) joined the
party
• High rankings were achieved
by keyword stuffing, excessive
tagging, and (often spammy)
backlinks
The Berners-Lee Era (1991 – 2002)
• Begun penalising bad
linking practices &
keyword stuffing to
improve indexing
• Google’s first tests of
personalised search
and local SEO.
• This era focused
heavily on generating
inbound links to
increase exposure.
The Rise of Google Era (2003 – 2005)
• User focused approach to
SEO – meant a more reactive
and varied search experience
• News, images, video all
became part of SERPs
• In 2008 Google suggest
launched along with keyword
research and insight tools
• Particular emphasis on
optimising alternative
content medias for search to
increase exposure.
The User First Era (2006 – 2009)
• A big change in SEO, forced
brands to earn rankings
through quality, user-focused
content or face penalties
• Major updates enforced
stricter regulations on
keywords, content quality &
over-optimisation
• Technical foundations of
websites still important
• Additional data panel features
trialled in SERPs
The Network Era (2010 – 2012)
• Digital environment
optimised around user intent
• Data used to develop
individual digital presence by
personalising results based
on history, location, and
device
• Quality content continues to
be of utmost importance
• Segmented content,
optimised for device and
user.
The Modern Era (2013 – Present)
Algorithms (some of them…)
THETODAY
Put the audience first, it is no longer
all about our good old mate Google
• Less emphasis on keywords –
(although these are still
important)... but more emphasis
on the audience.
• Persona building to know what
messages to deliver, how &
where
• Where do they hang out online?
Target to get your brand
coverage in these places
• Your website's important but if
your audience is elsewhere then
focus efforts here as well.
Audience Focused
• Link building is still a hugely
important ranking signal but
it has evolved
• Build networks, brand
recognition content, social
signals, and content research
• Get buy in from network at
point of concept
• Domain Authority can be
used to evaluate the value of
a backlink from any
particular site
Link Building Earning
• Two types of content - onsite &
offsite
• Onsite - relevant & well written
to engage users & drive shares
• Offsite - put the audience at the
heart - target those sites where
your audience operates
Follow three simple questions
• What’s the hook? (for audience,
for partners)
• What are you offering?
• Has it got longevity?
Content
• An interactive guide telling the
story of the game of football in
financial numbers.
• Prize money, attendance,
sponsorship, commercial
partnerships
• Worked out that the CL was
worth billion euros so tracked
back to apportion the revenue
into many sectors.
http://www.billioneurofootballgame.com/en/
The Billion Euro Game
• Target audience of first time
buyers… the Netflix generation
• Season 5 of Game of Thrones
was about to start…
• Align property value with
location and aligned to the
properties in the series.
• Seven point property
infographic
• https://www.landc.co.uk/insight/2015/11/7-epic-
game-of-thrones-castles-mortgages/
A Game of Loans
• Focus on citations
• Target sites that dominate
local search
• Register with Google
Business and add complete
business information
• Address must match
exactly as Google Business
Local Search
• One of the most competitive
markets
• Big brands dominate the
organic search results
making it more difficult to
rank
• Use big brands such as
Amazon to help build
authority and gain visibility
and potential traffic.
e-Commerce
Many people think our main competition is Bing or Yahoo.
But, really our biggest search competitor is Amazon.
Eric Schmidt, CEO Google
“
• Pressure now on sites to be
mobile friendly
• Test your site to ensure it
meets mobile quality
guidelines – Google
PageSpeed Insights
• Opportunity for apps to take
up SERP real estate
Mobile Search
• Behaviour on social
platforms is changing
• Social platforms want to
keep viewers on their sites
and in their apps
• Facebook instant articles an
example of this
• Did you know Facebook can
now search for content as
easily as people?
Social Search
• Part of search results for
years
• Search results will change
dependent on geography
and search history and even
social connections
• Engaging users and create
campaigns that help them
remember your brand will
increase your rank even
within personalised results
Personalisation
• Often neglected but very
Important part of SEO
strategy
• Technical audit to form a
part of pre and post site
launch
• Crucial to understanding
what problems exist and
what work needs to be done
• Proved to improve organic
performance
Technical
THEFUTURE
The future of Search Engine Optimisation
is Not Search Engine Optimisation
“Semantic search seeks to improve
search accuracy by understanding
searcher intent and the contextual
meaning of terms as they appear
in the searchable dataspace,
whether on the Web or within a
closed system, to generate more
relevant results.”
“London tube stations” - explicit
aspect of query
iPhone user, on street in London -
implicit aspect of query
Semantic Search
Search History
Language Social Connections
Location Browser
Time of Day
Device
Implicit Signals
• Wearable are starting to have
an effect on all aspects of
marketing
• Less listings - less visibility
• Wearable technology can be
used to collect data about the
user to deliver more
personalised messages via
digital channels.
Wearable Technology
My vision when we started Google 15 years ago was that
eventually you wouldn’t have to search at all.
Sergey Brin, Google
“
Previous model:
New model:
Revised Query Google Magic Response
Query Google Magic Response
Revised
Response
Google Magic
Additional input
Query Google Magic Response
Compound queries
• Personal assistants are smart
enough to associate natural
language with a request
• PA search terms pull even
more heavily on history and
context
• Whole new type of long-tail
keyword queries will emerge.
• Personal Assistants couldn’t
care less about websites.
They’re all about data.
Voice Search & Personal Assistants
The future?
ANTICIPATE.ANSWER.CONVERSE.
Keyword themes
1. What the user
intends
2. What your content
is about
3. Relating concepts
to one another
THEME THEME THEME
SUB
THEME
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
SUB
THEME
Keyword themes
1. What the user
intends
2. What your content
is about
3. Relating concepts
to one another
Keyword themes
1. What the user
intends
2. What your content
is about
3. Relating concepts
to one another
Keyword themes
1. What the user
intends
2. What your content
is about
3. Relating concepts
to one another
The Sprint Philosophy
Optimisation of on-
page elements:
titles & headlines
body content
image alt tags (for
image search!)
Gap Analysis
Building up
external content
seeding
opportunities
Reframing content
ideas based on
search data
Relabelling blog
titles based on
interest in phrases
Curating or creating
customer centric
content assets
Managing the
content promotion
of blogs, core
pages, native
advertising, social
advertising.
ON-PAGE OPPORTUNITIES ANALYSIS PROMOTION IDEAS
THEME
SUB
THEME
The Sprint Philosophy
ANY
QUESTIONS?
You can find us on Twitter:
@si_brown10
@monikag85
Thanks!

Attention: Organic Search

  • 1.
    ORGANIC SEARCH The Past,The Present, The Future
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Getting good visibility onlineis getting harder: • There is so much competition • Google is changing But... the future is still bright. A lot has changed
  • 4.
    THEPAST Figure out howto make Google put you on the first page (at the top please…)
  • 5.
    • As moreand more websites were created - the first search engines were designed to help with structure and accessibility • Excite (1993) was the first and shortly after major competitors like Yahoo (1994) & Google (1997) joined the party • High rankings were achieved by keyword stuffing, excessive tagging, and (often spammy) backlinks The Berners-Lee Era (1991 – 2002)
  • 6.
    • Begun penalisingbad linking practices & keyword stuffing to improve indexing • Google’s first tests of personalised search and local SEO. • This era focused heavily on generating inbound links to increase exposure. The Rise of Google Era (2003 – 2005)
  • 7.
    • User focusedapproach to SEO – meant a more reactive and varied search experience • News, images, video all became part of SERPs • In 2008 Google suggest launched along with keyword research and insight tools • Particular emphasis on optimising alternative content medias for search to increase exposure. The User First Era (2006 – 2009)
  • 8.
    • A bigchange in SEO, forced brands to earn rankings through quality, user-focused content or face penalties • Major updates enforced stricter regulations on keywords, content quality & over-optimisation • Technical foundations of websites still important • Additional data panel features trialled in SERPs The Network Era (2010 – 2012)
  • 9.
    • Digital environment optimisedaround user intent • Data used to develop individual digital presence by personalising results based on history, location, and device • Quality content continues to be of utmost importance • Segmented content, optimised for device and user. The Modern Era (2013 – Present)
  • 10.
  • 11.
    THETODAY Put the audiencefirst, it is no longer all about our good old mate Google
  • 12.
    • Less emphasison keywords – (although these are still important)... but more emphasis on the audience. • Persona building to know what messages to deliver, how & where • Where do they hang out online? Target to get your brand coverage in these places • Your website's important but if your audience is elsewhere then focus efforts here as well. Audience Focused
  • 13.
    • Link buildingis still a hugely important ranking signal but it has evolved • Build networks, brand recognition content, social signals, and content research • Get buy in from network at point of concept • Domain Authority can be used to evaluate the value of a backlink from any particular site Link Building Earning
  • 14.
    • Two typesof content - onsite & offsite • Onsite - relevant & well written to engage users & drive shares • Offsite - put the audience at the heart - target those sites where your audience operates Follow three simple questions • What’s the hook? (for audience, for partners) • What are you offering? • Has it got longevity? Content
  • 15.
    • An interactiveguide telling the story of the game of football in financial numbers. • Prize money, attendance, sponsorship, commercial partnerships • Worked out that the CL was worth billion euros so tracked back to apportion the revenue into many sectors. http://www.billioneurofootballgame.com/en/ The Billion Euro Game
  • 16.
    • Target audienceof first time buyers… the Netflix generation • Season 5 of Game of Thrones was about to start… • Align property value with location and aligned to the properties in the series. • Seven point property infographic • https://www.landc.co.uk/insight/2015/11/7-epic- game-of-thrones-castles-mortgages/ A Game of Loans
  • 17.
    • Focus oncitations • Target sites that dominate local search • Register with Google Business and add complete business information • Address must match exactly as Google Business Local Search
  • 18.
    • One ofthe most competitive markets • Big brands dominate the organic search results making it more difficult to rank • Use big brands such as Amazon to help build authority and gain visibility and potential traffic. e-Commerce
  • 19.
    Many people thinkour main competition is Bing or Yahoo. But, really our biggest search competitor is Amazon. Eric Schmidt, CEO Google “
  • 20.
    • Pressure nowon sites to be mobile friendly • Test your site to ensure it meets mobile quality guidelines – Google PageSpeed Insights • Opportunity for apps to take up SERP real estate Mobile Search
  • 21.
    • Behaviour onsocial platforms is changing • Social platforms want to keep viewers on their sites and in their apps • Facebook instant articles an example of this • Did you know Facebook can now search for content as easily as people? Social Search
  • 22.
    • Part ofsearch results for years • Search results will change dependent on geography and search history and even social connections • Engaging users and create campaigns that help them remember your brand will increase your rank even within personalised results Personalisation
  • 24.
    • Often neglectedbut very Important part of SEO strategy • Technical audit to form a part of pre and post site launch • Crucial to understanding what problems exist and what work needs to be done • Proved to improve organic performance Technical
  • 25.
    THEFUTURE The future ofSearch Engine Optimisation is Not Search Engine Optimisation
  • 26.
    “Semantic search seeksto improve search accuracy by understanding searcher intent and the contextual meaning of terms as they appear in the searchable dataspace, whether on the Web or within a closed system, to generate more relevant results.” “London tube stations” - explicit aspect of query iPhone user, on street in London - implicit aspect of query Semantic Search
  • 27.
    Search History Language SocialConnections Location Browser Time of Day Device Implicit Signals
  • 28.
    • Wearable arestarting to have an effect on all aspects of marketing • Less listings - less visibility • Wearable technology can be used to collect data about the user to deliver more personalised messages via digital channels. Wearable Technology
  • 29.
    My vision whenwe started Google 15 years ago was that eventually you wouldn’t have to search at all. Sergey Brin, Google “
  • 30.
    Previous model: New model: RevisedQuery Google Magic Response Query Google Magic Response Revised Response Google Magic Additional input Query Google Magic Response Compound queries
  • 31.
    • Personal assistantsare smart enough to associate natural language with a request • PA search terms pull even more heavily on history and context • Whole new type of long-tail keyword queries will emerge. • Personal Assistants couldn’t care less about websites. They’re all about data. Voice Search & Personal Assistants
  • 32.
  • 33.
    Keyword themes 1. Whatthe user intends 2. What your content is about 3. Relating concepts to one another THEME THEME THEME SUB THEME THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME SUB THEME Keyword themes 1. What the user intends 2. What your content is about 3. Relating concepts to one another Keyword themes 1. What the user intends 2. What your content is about 3. Relating concepts to one another Keyword themes 1. What the user intends 2. What your content is about 3. Relating concepts to one another The Sprint Philosophy
  • 34.
    Optimisation of on- pageelements: titles & headlines body content image alt tags (for image search!) Gap Analysis Building up external content seeding opportunities Reframing content ideas based on search data Relabelling blog titles based on interest in phrases Curating or creating customer centric content assets Managing the content promotion of blogs, core pages, native advertising, social advertising. ON-PAGE OPPORTUNITIES ANALYSIS PROMOTION IDEAS THEME SUB THEME The Sprint Philosophy
  • 35.
    ANY QUESTIONS? You can findus on Twitter: @si_brown10 @monikag85 Thanks!