As search evolves, so does optimization. Search results are less about phrases (combinations of words and letters) and more about topics (semantic meanings and entities). So a smart content marketer optimizes for “things, not strings.” But what exactly does this mean for the writer? This presentation covers five specific actions we take as content marketers to make sure that your marketing is aligned with the future of SEO. Learn how to: Find clues into what topics are semantically linked to each other (Research) Target topics, not just phrases, through writing (Semantic Search) Incorporate natural language into your content (Voice Search) Make visitors happy in ways that make Google happy (User Interaction Signals) You're about to learn the step-by-step process for each of the specific actions that will future-proof your search engine rankings.

1. The Future of SEO:
Search Optimization in 2016
ANDY CRESTODINA | STRATEGIC DIRECTOR

2. @Kissmetrics
#KissWebinar
@thuelmadsen

3. Thue is the Kissmetrics Webinar Wizard and Marketing
Ops Manager. Before joining forces with Kissmetrics,
he was a Lyft driver in SF, which is also how he ended
up as a KISSmetrics marketer. Whenever Thue is not
trying to automate everything around him, you can find
him hiking in the Sierras.
THUE MADSEN
Marketing Operations Manager, Kissmetrics
@ThueLMadsen
Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and the Strategic
Director of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person
web design company in Chicago. Andy’s a top-rated
speaker at national conferences. He is also the author
of “Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for
Content Marketing.”
ANDY CRESTODINA
Co-founder and Director, Orbit Media
@crestodina

4. @orbitmedia
#KissWebinar
@crestodina

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INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

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Which of these links and keywords affect your rankings?
INTRODUCTION

9. blog post
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Which of these links and keywords affect your rankings?
INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

11. INTRODUCTION

12. 1. Semantic Search
2. Natural Language
3. User Interaction Signals
4. Build Your Network
5. Quality Rater Guidelines
FUTURE PROOF YOUR SEARCH RANKINGS

13. 1. Semantic Search

14. AMIT SINGHAL
Google
“ We’ve been working on an
intelligent model...
that understands real-world entities
and their relationships to one
another: things, not strings.

15. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

16. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

17. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

18. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

19. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

20. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

21. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

22. website copyright copyright text
website footer examples
header and footer
website footer definition
at the bottom of the page
designing a website footer
fat footer
guidelines
standards
best practices
usability
content
ideas
inspiration
links SEO
sitemap
social media
navigation
purpose of
responsive
template
Semantically linked to “footer design”
1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

23. website copyright copyright text
website footer examples
header and footer
website footer definition
at the bottom of the page
designing a website footer
fat footer
guidelines
standards
best practices
usability
content
ideas
inspiration
links SEO
sitemap
social media
navigation
purpose of
responsive
template
Semantically linked to “footer design”
1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

24. 1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

25. 1. Find the words and phrases that are semantically
linked to the phrase you are targeted
2. Use those phrases within your content
Adapt to Semantic Search
1. SEMANTIC SEARCH

26. 2. Digital Assistants,
Natural Language

27. 2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

28. 2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

29. 2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

30. 2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

31. 2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

32. 1. Use sentences that include the complete
meaning
2. Include full questions and full answers
Adapt to Natural Language Search
2. DIGITAL ASSISTANTS, NATURAL LANGUAGE

33. 3. Improve User
Interaction Signals

34. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

35. The Time on Page / Ranking Correlation
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

36. Bounce Rate / Ranking Correlation?? Nope...
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

37. The Time on Page / Ranking Correlation
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

38. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

39. 1. Format for Scanners
2. Add Multiple Images
3. Add Video
4. Internal Linking
5. Go Deep
5 Ways to Keep Your Visitors
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

40. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

41. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

42. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

43. o Header and Subheaders
o Bullet Lists and Numbered Lists
o Bolding and Italics
o Internal Links
o Multiple Images
Types of Formatting
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

44. source: How Little to Users Read? NN Group
Users have time to read at most 28%
of the words during an average visit;
20% is more likely.
Types of Formatting
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

45. source: 2015 Blogger Survey
What Media are Bloggers Adding?
3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

46. 3. IMPROVE USER INTERACTION SIGNALS

47. “ In a desert of text, images are water.
Give your readers a drink!

48. 4. Build a Network of
Content Creators

49. links are authority
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

50. Source: MOZ Search Ranking Factors 2015
Correlation between links and rankings
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

51. more links = more authority
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

52. links from credible sites =
much more authority
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

53. 4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

54. “ Everything in marketing is based on
relationships.

55. lead
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

56. lead
traffic
conversions
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

57. lead
traffic
conversions
search
email
social
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

58. lead
traffic
conversions
search
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

59. lead
traffic
conversions
rank
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

60. lead
traffic
conversions
rank
content
links
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

61. lead
traffic
conversions
rank
content
links
content
relationships
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

62. There are two kinds of people on the internet
Creators
Contributors
and “lurkers”
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

63. o Journalists
o Authors
o Podcasters
o Academic Researchers
o Event Producers
And of course...
o Bloggers and blog editors
Who makes content?
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

64. Two Types of Social Media
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

65. Two Types of Social Media
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

66. Two Types of Social Media
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

67. 1. Weekly Outreach Calls
2. Coffee, Lunch, Beer
3. Mastermind Groups
4. Office Hours
5. Attend Events
5 Ways to Build Your Network
source: 5 Ways to Produce Better Web Content, Orbit Media
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

68. source: YouCanBook.Me
OFFICE HOURS

70. Content Marketing Mastermind
1. 59 minutes on Skype, Hangout or Blab
2. Once per month for one year
3. Agenda:
“What are you doing that we can promote”
“What are you writing that we can collaborate on”
“What are you doing to be more productive?”
“Anyone I know that you want to meet?”
4. Bring a guest each month
5. Miss it twice and you’re out!
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

71. Get Out There!
...events are the best shortcut

72. 4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

74. q Sit in the front row
q Ask a question during Q & A
q Thank them in person after the session
q Have them sign a book
q Ask if you can email them to get a contributor
quote later...
Tips for attending events
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

75. 1. Quote and Mention
2. Contributor Quote
3. Roundup Posts
4. Deep Dive Interview
5. Invite to Guest Post
5 Ways to Collaborate
source: 5 Ways to Produce Better Web Content, Orbit Media
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

76. 4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

77. 4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

78. “ Content optimized for search
includes keywords.
Content optimized for social
includes people.

79. YOUR SITE
OTHER SITES
WHERE to publish
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

80. WHO does the writing
CREATED BY YOU
CO-CREATED WITH
INFLUENCERS
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

81. Blogging vs. Guest Blogging
Content = 2
Links = 0
Friends = 0
Content = 3
Links = 1
Friends = 2
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

82. Round Two...
Content = 4
Links = 0
Friends = 0
Content = 6
Links = 2
Friends = 4
(better links + real connections)
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

83. Nice blog, but… This is what great
content marketing looks like.
Round Four...
4. BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTENT CREATORS

86. “ If you’re not making friends,
you’re doing it wrong.

87. 5. Publish the Best Piece
of Content on the Topic

88. Google’s Search Quality Guidelines!
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

89. 1. Content is “Front and Center”
2. EAT: Expert, Authoritative, Trustworthy
3. “Highly Meets” vs. “Fails to Meet”
3 Ways to Meet Google’s Guidelines
source: Brian Dean
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

90. “Is the content is at the top of the page?”
Put information high on the page, so visitors can
read without scrolling.
Content is Front and Center
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

91. "Can you trust the source of this content?”
• Expertise
• Authoritativeness
• Trustworthiness
Prove that you’re an expert, or "borrow" authority by
citing sources and other experts.
E-A-T the Results
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

92. “Does the content succeed at meeting the goals of
the visitor?”
Page should provide a comprehensive answer, truly
meeting their needs.
Create long, in-depth content that covers every
angle of your topic.
Highly Meets vs. Fails to Meet
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

93. The Results?
...let’s take a look.

94. 5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

95. 5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

96. 5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

97. Rankings climb for “website footer design”
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

98. What was the search volume?
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

99. And finally, the traffic...
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

100. Best of all? It’s attracted links
5. PUBLISH THE BEST PIECE OF CONTENT ON THE TOPIC

101. “ Make the best page on the Internet
for your topic. Be the best answer.

102. Thank you!
Andy Crestodina
Strategic Director | @crestodina
bitly.com/contentchem

103. ANDY CRESTODINA
Co-founder and Director, Orbit Media
@crestodina
THUE MADSEN
Marketing Operations Manager, Kissmetrics
@ThueLMadsen
tmadsen@kissmetrics.com
Questions?