SEO in 2011
1. Site Quality vs. Page Quality
Google is no longer “page” focused
The days of Google determining what will or won’t rank primarily based on page-level analysis are gone. Aka Panda.
2. Human Engagement Signals
Stole some slides from Rand Fishkin, showing Facebook shares are highly correlated with Google rankings
Google acquires PostRank, analytics service for the social web (with lots of historical data)
Google knows that no one is reading a page. So it doesn’t matter if your link is on that page.
3. Brute Force is Dead
Unnatural anchor text can hurt you.
Large volumes of exact match anchor text are not how people link in the real world.
– automated filtering
– automated correction
4. Extreme Localization
Google goes insane!
Oct-2010, everyone has a location.
Points out that he has clients with double-digit clickthrough rates at positions 9-15…because of the maps in the middle.
Change is Good.
– embrace it.
– find new areas of opportunities.
Our job is to understand human behavior while they are looking for information.
Read the leaked Google doc about raters guidelines.
Focus for the Agency
– learn to say no
– autonomous solutions
– new products/services to solve common problems
You can’t do it like you used to. Can’t give small wins more often. You need to have stellar results. Otherwise, you won’t grow as a business. And you’ll be stuck with those clients who pay you a lot of money and don’t listen to you.
Project lists that outline problems but also solutions.
Focus for the Client
– lose the tie!
– don’t be afraid to go rogue.
– proof-of-concept is the key
– embrace open graph and individual identities for your employees
Q&A:
– If you’re using opengraph and your site gets hit with panda, does Google then also apply that penalty to your profile?
– How are you talking to your clients about how to use Facebook right now?