Technology is fundamentally changing the way SEO is practiced. Download Conductor’s webinar with Nathan Safran, Senior Research Analyst, to learn: View the replay and download this presentation to learn: -What are marketers' attitudes towards SEO in terms of budget, metrics and keyword management? -What are the key stumbling blocks that keep the SEO from scaling their keywords and achieving success in natural search? -How is technology enabling the SEO to focus on high-impact revenue producing activities?

1. The Future of SEO: How Technology
is Changing The Way SEO is Practiced
Nathan Safran
Senior Research Analyst
Conductor, Inc.

2. Twitter
@Conductor
Hashtag: #SEOFuture
#SEOFuture 2

3. About Conductor
Founded in 2005
Searchlight - Most Widely Used Enterprise SEO platform
Optimizing Over $3 Billion Worth of SEO revenue
Powering SEO for Over 100 Leading Brands
Largest SEO Technology Company in the World
“Travelocity has noticed significant growth in SEO traffic and bookings since
engaging with Conductor.” - Jeff Glueck, Travelocity
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4. Conductor Research
Provider of ‘SEO Effectiveness Score’ to
Internet Retailer 500
Nathan Safran
Senior Research Analyst
Former Forrester Research Analyst in
Consumer Product Strategy Group
Recent Study on ‘Panda’ Volatility
Study on Google Instant Impact on User
Syndicated on Business Insider
Behavior Widely Covered
#SEOFuture 4

5. Agenda
Marketers’ Attitudes Toward SEO:
Budget, Metrics, & Keyword Management
Key Challenges Facing the SEO Professional
Solutions: Technology - Primary and Ancillary Impact on the Practice
of SEO
5 #SEOFuture

6. Marketers’ Attitudes Toward SEO:
Budget, Metrics, and Keyword Management
Key Challenges Facing the SEO
Solutions: Technology - Primary and Ancillary Impact on the Practice
of SEO
#SEOFuture 6

7. SEO Pros – They are Everywhere
#SEOFuture 7

8. Internet Retailer 500 Companies with In-house SEO Jumped
24% in Seven Months
Conductor Study, March 2011
8 #SEOFuture

9. Marketers Increase Commitment to SEO in the Next Year
Source: Econsultancy: SEO Trends, Issues and Opportunities, March 2011
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10. More Than Half of Budget is Allocated to Headcount and
Content
Source: Econsultancy: SEO Trends, Issues and Opportunities, March 2011
10 #SEOFuture

11. Nearly 8 out of 10 SEOs say Natural Search Metrics More
Important as an Input to Business Strategy
78% of
Marketers say
natural search
metrics more
important than
a year ago
Source: Econsultancy: SEO Trends, Issues and Opportunities, March 2011
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12. 62% of Marketers Have Increased Keyword Coverage in the
Last 12 Months
62% of Marketers have increased keyword coverage
in the last year
Source: Econsultancy: SEO Trends, Issues and Opportunities, March 2011
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13. No. of Non-Paid Keywords Driving Traffic Grew by 20% YOY
•Holiday Season 2010 vs. 2009
•18 million+ visits
•5 High Traffic Ecommerce Websites
Source: Conductor 2010 Holiday Study, February 2011
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14. Traffic Increase Follows Similar Curve as Keyword Coverage
Source: Conductor 2010 Holiday Study, February 2011
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15. Marketers’ Attitudes Toward SEO: Budget, Metrics, and Keyword
Management
Key Challenges Facing the SEO Professional
Solutions: Technology - Primary and Ancillary Impact on the Practice
of SEO
15 #SEOFuture

16. Wide Spectrum of Challenges Facing the SEO
Professional Today
Ambiguity
The „Where
Opportunity
do I Start?‟
Identification
Problem
Results Vary by
Natural Competitive
Landscape/Vert
ical/Domain
Search Landscape
Visibility
Visibility
Long Term Task-Time
Endeavor Conflict
Changing
Complexity of
SERPs
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17. Today We Will Discuss a Subset Addressable by
Technology
Ambiguity
The „Where
Opportunity
do I Start?‟
Identification
Problem
Results Vary by
Natural Competitive
Landscape/Vert
ical/Domain
Search Landscape
Visibility
Visibility
Long Term Task-Time
Endeavor Conflict
Changing
Complexity of
SERPs
#SEOFuture 17

18. Optimizing yourself
TASK-TIME CONFLICT
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19. SEO Task-Time Conflict
The Tension Between the Time Consuming, Low-Impact Tasks that Drive SEO, and High-
Impact Tasks that Have a Material Impact on Search Rankings,Traffic and Revenue
Source: Conductor Blog, How to Save Time With SEO: Using Technology to Resolve the Task-Time Conflict, June 2, 2011
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20. SEO Professionals are Hampered by Time Consuming, Low-
Impact Tasks…
Conductor , Inc. The Unoptimized SEO, How Manual Tasks Sabotage the Potential of Search Marketers, March, 2011
20 #SEOFuture

21. …While Preferring to Spend Time on High-Impact Activities
Conductor , Inc. The Unoptimized SEO, How Manual Tasks Sabotage the Potential of Search Marketers, March, 2011
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22. Task-Time Conflict Becomes Even More Apparent When Actual vs.
Desired Tasks Viewed Side by Side
Conductor , Inc. The Unoptimized SEO, How Manual Tasks Sabotage the Potential of Search Marketers, March, 2011
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23. Managing the ever-changing face of search results
CHANGING COMPLEXITY OF
SERPS
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24. SERP for ‘iPhone’ – 2007 to Today
2007 2011
News
Images
Video
Shopping
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25. SERPs Have Become a Hodgepodge of
Blended Results
4,227 of the Most Expensive Paid keywords
81% with universal search results of some kind
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26. “I know where *I* am in the SERPs, but what neighborhood am I in?”
EFFECTIVELY ANALYZING
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
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27. Classic Challenges Persist in Gaining Insight
into the SERPs Beyond Your Own Rank
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28. Here I am…
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29. …But What is Around Me?
Competitor
Competitor
Competitor
Competitor
News
Forget it
(Wikipedia)
Publisher
Competitor
Publisher
Publisher
Publisher
Shopping
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30. Marketers’ Attitudes Toward SEO: Budget, Metrics, and Keyword
Management
Key Challenges Facing the SEO Professional
Solutions: Technology - Primary and Ancillary Impact on the Practice
of SEO
30 #SEOFuture

31. Recap - Key Challenges
• Task-Time Conflict
• Changing Complexity of SERPs
• Effectively Analyzing Competitive Landscape
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32. Solutions
TASK-TIME CONFLICT
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33. Technology Enables Up to 339x Efficiency Gains in Rank
Tracking Activities
Conductor , Inc. The Unoptimized SEO, How Manual Tasks Sabotage the Potential of Search Marketers, March, 2011
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34. Efficiencies on Low-Impact Tasks Enable Focus on High-
Impact Activities
Conductor , Inc. The Unoptimized SEO, How Manual Tasks Sabotage the Potential of Search Marketers, March, 2011
#SEOFuture 34

35. Manual/Semi-Auto On-Page Auditing Requires Dedicated
Resources…
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36. …So SEOs Auditing Half as Frequently as They Should Be
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37. SEO Platform Provides Maximum SEO Oversight with
Least Effort
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38. Solutions
CHANGING COMPLEXITY OF
SERPS
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39. Understand Your Neighborhood
Classification
of rankers by
domain type
Source: Conductor Searchlight Keyword Screen
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40. Solutions
EFFECTIVELY ANALYZE
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
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41. Technology Solutions Enable Clear Insight into Natural
Search Visibility
Source: Conductor Searchlight
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42. Insight into Competitive Landscape
#SEOFuture Source: Conductor Searchlight Competitors Screen 42

43. Closed Loop Analysis - Determine ROI by Viewing
Rank/Traffic/Conversion Together in the Same Place
Source: Conductor Searchlight
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44. Key Takeaways
•Marketers Increasing Commitment to SEO—Budget & Headcount
•SEOs Increasingly Scaling Keywords
Key Challenge Technology Helps By…
Task-Time Conflict Enabling Focus on High-Impact Activities by
Automating Repetitive, Low-Impact Tasks
Changing Complexity of SERPs Providing Transparency Into Dynamic, Digital
SERPs
Effectively Analyze Competitive Enabling Insight into Competitive Landscape
Landscape
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45. Thank You!
conductor.com/sempowebinar
Download:
SEO Platform Time Savings Calculator
Today’s Presentation (with newly released data!)
Web: conductor.com
Twitter: @conductor
Blog: conductor.com/blog
Email: nsafran@conductor.com
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