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. • Find clues into what topics are semantically linked to each other • Target topics, not just phrases, through writing (Semantic Search) • Incorporate natural language into your content (voice search, answer boxes) • Make visitors happy in ways that make Google happy (user interaction signals) You're about to learn the step-by-step process for semantic search optimization each of the specific actions in SEO that will future-proof your search engine rankings.

1. Semantic SEO
5 Ways to Future-Proof Your Rankings
Andy Crestodina
Strategic Director | @crestodina

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QUICK REVIEW
Which keywords are helpful?
Which links are helpful?

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Rank
Authority Relevance

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Rank
Links Keywords

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Rank
Offsite On-Page

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blog post
guest post
research
post on another site
keyphrase
keyphrase

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blog post
guest post
research
post on another site
keyphrase
keyphrase

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blog post
guest post
research
post on another site
keyphrase
keyphrase

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blog post
guest post
research
post on another site
keyphrase
keyphrase
Which of these links and keywords affect your rankings?

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blog post
guest post
research
post on another site
keyphrase
keyphrase
Which of these links and keywords affect your rankings?

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

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Target the topic,
not the keyphrase

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Semantic connections to “footer design”
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

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Semantic connections to “footer design”
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

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Rankings climb for “website footer design”

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What was the search volume?

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And finally, the traffic...

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ACTION: Indicate the relevance
1. Use the target phrase in the title, header and body text
2. Find and use the words and phrases that are
semantically connected to the phrase you’re targeting

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Questions and Answer
Boxes

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1. Write content that answers questions
2. Use sentences that include complete questions and
complete answers
3. Write detailed posts that rank high in the first place!
How to Rank #0
@crestodina

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User Interaction
Signals

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User Interaction Signals ...and “RankBrain”
1. Click through rate from search results pages
2. Bounce Rate
3. Time on page

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Evidence that these are ranking factors
source: How Google Works: A Ranking Engineer’s Perspective, Paul Haar (slide 30)

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Time on page correlation

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Time on page correlation

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The Short Click vs. The Long Click
@crestodina

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ACTION: Keep your visitors on your page
1. Format for Scanners
2. Add Multiple Images
3. Add Video
4. Internal Linking
5. Go Deep!

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Avoid long, blocky
paragraphs

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Your “readers” are scanners
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.

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Add multiple images
source: 2016 Blogger Survey
@crestodina

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Build a Network of
Content Creators

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Links are authority

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more links = more authority

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links from authoritative websites =
much more authority

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Everything in marketing is
based on relationships.

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lead

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lead
traffic
conversions

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lead
traffic
conversions
search
email
social

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lead
traffic
conversions
search

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lead
traffic
conversions
rank

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lead
traffic
conversions
rank
content
links

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lead
traffic
conversions
rank
content
links
content
relationships

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There are two kinds of people on the internet
Creators
Contributors
and “lurkers”

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Who makes content?
• Journalists
• Authors
• Podcasters
• Academic Researchers
• Event Producers
And of course...
• Bloggers and blog editors

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There are two types of social media

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There are two types of social media

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1. Weekly Outreach Calls
2. Coffee, Lunch, Beer
3. Mastermind Groups
4. Office Hours
5. Slack Boards
6. Attend Events
Ways to Build Your Network
source: 5 Ways to Produce Better Web Content, Orbit Media
@crestodina

76. Mastermind Groups

77. 1. Monthly one-hour call, Skype or Hangout
2. Bring a guest each month
3. Miss it twice and you’re kicked out!
Start a mastermind group

78. 1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content marketing mastermind agenda

79. 1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content marketing mastermind agenda

80. 1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content marketing mastermind agenda

81. 1. What are you doing that we can promote?
2. What are you writing that we can collaborate on?
3. What are you doing to be more productive?
4. Do I know anyone that you want to meet?
Content marketing mastermind agenda

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

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 Sit in the front row
 Ask a question during Q & A
 Thank them in person after the session
 Have them sign a book
 Ask if you can email them to get a contributor
quote later...
Tips for attending events
@crestodina

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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
@crestodina

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Search + Social
One post, optimized for both

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Content designed
to attract visitors

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Optimized for Search

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Optimized for Social

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How many people are waiting
for your article to go live?
Make sure it’s not zero.

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Social actions, search outcomes

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Social actions, search outcomes

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WHERE to publish
YOUR SITE
OTHER SITES

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WHO does the writing
CREATED BY YOU
CO-CREATED WITH
INFLUENCERS

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Blogging vs. Guest Blogging
Content = 2
Links = 0
Friends = 0
Content = 3
Links = 1
Friends = 2

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Blogging vs. Guest Blogging
Content = 4
Links = 0
Friends = 0
Content = 6
Links = 2
Friends = 4
(better links + real connections)

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Blogging vs. Guest Blogging
Nice blog, but… This is what great
content marketing looks like.

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

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What Does “Quality”
Mean to Google?

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Google’s Search Quality Guidelines
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

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3 Ways to Meet Google’s Guidelines
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
1. Content is “Front and Center”
2. EAT: Expert, Authoritative, Trustworthy
3. “Highly Meets” vs. “Fails to Meet”

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Content is Front and Center
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
“Is the content is at the top of the page?”
Put information high on the page, so visitors
can read without scrolling.

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E-A-T the Results
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
"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.

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Highly Meets vs. Fails to Meet
source: Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
“Does the content succeed at meeting the goals of the
visitor?”
Provide comprehensive answers, truly meeting visitors’
needs.
Create long, in-depth content that covers every angle of
your topic.

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Answer all the related questions
source: answerthepublic.com

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Answer all the related questions
source: answerthepublic.com

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Andy Crestodina
Strategic Director | @crestodina
THANK YOU!