Confab 2018 Talk: "Empathy Behind the Algorithms: Creating People-Driven SEO"

Search engine algorithms are always changing, and it can feel impossible to keep up. But effective search engine strategy always strikes a balance between technical optimization and understanding the people behind the keywords.

In this talk, I'll show you a practical approach to human-centered SEO that you can use to make sure your content is helpful, relevant, and findable, too.

In this session, you’ll discover how to:

- Understand search intent
- Use that understanding of intent to improve navigation, information architecture, tools, and functionality
- Make content more helpful by answering questions
- Use smart metadata and markup

Download a guide of my tips and takeaways from this talk >> bit.ly/understandingintent

Transcript

1. Empathy Behind the Algorithms CREATING PEOPLE-DRIVEN SEO Confab 2018 by @CHRIS_CORAK
4. Difference between low and high quality content
5. The entire interconnected experience
6. Voice, changing the tone ½ of teens + 41% of adults use voice search daily
7. 15% of searches in Google have never been searched for before
8. RankBrain, a machine learning (artificial intelligence) technology
13. Google’s priority on mobile: Mobilegeddon (AKA Mobile-friendly update)
14. Determining ranking factors from your mobile UX first, over desktop view
15. Behavioral data is part of Google’s algorithm and increase in importance over time. @RANDFISH
17. Google doesn’t just give you search results online, they track real life actions offline, too. The takeaway: real life actions can impact your search visibility.
18. If Google’s #1 goal is to give people what they want, then why would we cater to algorithms instead of working harder to make users happy? #CONFAB18 - @CHRIS_CORAK
19. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN- CENTERED SEO
20. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN-CENTERED SEO 1 – Understand search intent 2 – Improve navigation, IA, tools and functionality 3 – Make content helpful by answering questions 4 – Use smart metadata and markup
21. Step 1: Understand search intent WHAT IS WHAT’S POSSIBLE LOOK FOR THEMES
22. Understanding intent: One method to improve content quality + UX
23. Using search data to gain empathy
24. “Active intent is the intent that is explicitly described by the query syntax…You MUST satisfy active intent immediately.” @ajkohn Active Intent
25. “Passive intent is the intent that is implicitly described.” @ajkohn Passive Intent
26. Helps us understand from where and on what device Seeing what is in current state analytics
27. Helps us understand from where and on what device Google Search Console to see how users are finding you now
28. On-site search analytics to see what’s common or hard to find
29. Seeing what’s possible throughout an entire industry
30. Choose your weapon Moz Keyword Explorer http://answertheclient.com/assets/atp-dark-inline-9dc08e1790f7273b9aee6bcfa16580e9dda179dbea01081599f7d9a04f9ab112.png Link: Keywordtool.io
31. My favorite, KeywordTool.io
32. How they capture the long tail
33. Test scenario: Imagine we’re an Insurance provider
34. Phrase here
35. Read for themes
36. Read for themes
37. Cost + Quotes
38. Validation
39. Taxable
40. Meaning
41. Local agents
42. Value
43. Themes we’ve identified within “life insurance” ✓ Cost + Quotes ✓ Validation ✓ Taxable ✓ Meaning ✓ Local Agents ✓ Value
44. bit.ly/understandingintent My tips and takeaways
45. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN-CENTERED SEO 1 – Understand search intent 2 – Improve navigation, IA, tools and functionality 3 – Make content helpful by answering questions 4 – Use smart metadata and markup
46. Step 2: Improve tools, features, and navigation HIGH LEVEL NAVIGATION TOOLS + FUNCTIONALITY CONTENT TOPICS
47. User intent data can help us win budget, gain internal alignment, and make changes that have the biggest impact on our users. #CONFAB18 - @CHRIS_CORAK
48. Search intent for “Insurance” Summing up the search volume for each theme can: ✓ Prove value ✓ Help prioritize topics THEMES OF INTENT 1.8 MILLION MONTHLY SEARCHES
49. Intent analysis informs information architecture
50. Priority on Me, low priority on “Local Agent” intent
51. Higher priority on User, including “Local Agent” intent
52. High priority on “Local Agent” intent
53. “Local Agent” level content boosting visibility in local search
54. 45% + in Organic traffic since New strategy
55. Satisfying “Value + Cost” intent through interactive tools
56. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN-CENTERED SEO 1 – Understand search intent 2 – Improve navigation, IA, tools and functionality 3 – Make content helpful by answering questions 4 – Use smart metadata and markup
57. Step 3: Make content more helpful ANSWER QUESTIONS SATISFY PASSIVE INTENT CREATE SEMANTIC RELEVANCE
58. Questions uncover more intent
59. 52% of questions trigger a featured snippet *semrush Tips on structuring your content to win snippets: > bit.ly/tips-from-ann-smarty
60. Gathering questions Moz Keyword Explorer http://answertheclient.com/assets/atp-dark-inline-9dc08e1790f7273b9aee6bcfa16580e9dda179dbea01081599f7d9a04f9ab112.png Link: Keywordtool.io
61. Great for presentations
62. Click this tab
63. Satisfying passive intent + answering questions in content
64. Content for special circumstances
65. Content for special circumstances
67. Visibility for passive intent #1 Local pack + #1
68. 28% improvement in bounce rates + 53% increase in people asking for a quote
69. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN-CENTERED SEO 1 – Understand search intent 2 – Improve navigation, IA, tools and functionality 3 – Make content helpful by answering questions 4 – Use smart metadata and markup
70. Step 4: Use smart metadata and markup TITLES META DESCRIPTIONS STRUCTURED DATA
71. Of traffic comes from Organic Search. While 29% start directly on your site. 47% CONDUCTOR, ENTERPRISE ANALYTICS STUDY
72. Not readable or helpful Reads well and is extremely helpful Make sure it’s readable and helpful Doesn’t even make sense 63,000+ reviews, price, in stock, trial period
73. Lacks clarity Straight forward + helpful Make sure it’s readable and helpful This is about “ life insurance? ” Passive intent A+ : quotes, validation, taxes
74. Structured data
75. How “entities” are formed
77. Entity optimization How Google understands your brand
79. Schema.org Wells Fargo ~ Showing relevance to a Bank location
80. Schema.org by type Product Local business Reviews Organization Images & videos More… Healthcare & Medical Finance & Banking Real estate Travel & tourism Arts & music Software More… Schema.org by industry
81. Ratings / Reviews + Product markup Event markup Structured data enhancing UX + CTR
82. Logo Step #1: Markup your home page with Schema.org/Organization Official profiles Points of contact Parent organization
83. Knowledge Graph Official social properties Official logo Parent organization “Organization” markup can influence the Knowledge Graph
84. Download code + implement on home page: > bit.ly/sample-organization-markup Name Logo Official profiles Start with the basics
85. Link to Google’s testing tool > bit.ly/structured-data-test-tool Paste your code here to test
86. Step #2: Add semantic relevance Research in-depth markup on Schema.org
87. People-driven SEO THE WRAP UP
88. 4 key steps GETTING STARTED WITH HUMAN-CENTERED SEO 1 – Understand search intent 2 – Improve navigation, IA, tools and functionality 3 – Make content helpful by answering questions 4 – Use smart metadata and markup
89. Takes a team to achieve a success SEO outcome Successful SEO Outcome Content Dev / IT UX Design Creative Digital Marketing SEO Expertise Executive Stakeholders Analytics Social Media + PR
90. bit.ly/understandingintent My tips and takeaways
91. Staying up to speed in SEO For latest news www.seroundtable.com Google patents + implications @ bill_slawski on Twitter www.seobythesea.com @badams on Twitter www.polemicdigital.com/blog Technical SEO, Barry Adams
92. Real world application Moz Blog https://moz.com/blog Whiteboard Friday https://moz.com/blog/category/whiteboard-friday
93. SEOs with human considerations Rand Fishkin @randfish sparktoro.com/blog AJ Kohn @ajkohn blindfiveyearold.com
94. Confab 2018, “Empathy Behind the Algorithms,” @CHRIS_CORAK My tips and takeways >> bit.ly/understandingintent Questions? www.onwardand.co