Adapted from my talk at MicroConf 2013 in Prague.

1. SEO Demystified:
Practical Techniques that produce awesome results
Dave Collins, SoftwarePromotions
@TheDaveCollins

2. Saying “awesome”
is unimaginative.
Do better you can.
@TheDaveCollins

3. SEO Demystified:
Practical Techniques that produce astonishing results
Dave Collins, SoftwarePromotions
@TheDaveCollins

4. 301
cloak
indexed Pages
link text
algorithm
crawler
inlink
LSI
alt text
doorway
keyword
META tags
analytics
duplicate content
keyword cannibalization
natural search results
anchor text
FFA
keyword density
nofollow
astroturfing
gateway
keyword spam
noindex
authority
Google bomb
keyword stuffing
non reciprocal link
back link
Google bowling
landing page
organic link
bot
Google dance
latent semantic indexing
outlink
bounce rate
Google juice
link bait
pagerank
bread crumbs
Googlebot
link building
proprietary method
link condom
reciprocal link
canonical issues GYM

6. 70%
of SEO is
simple

7. 60%
of SEO is
simple

8. 50%
of SEO is
simple

11. SEOs actually deserve this

12. You can always
trust a Brit.

13. @TheDaveCollins

14. SEO: local or international?
Asked for cash from audience…

15. You just gave
cash to an SEO?
R€ALLY?

16. SEO is really ______ ____.
@TheDaveCollins

17. For every person who
knows what they’re talking
about with SEO, there are
_________ who are talking
out of their _____.
@TheDaveCollins

18. Flashback to MicroConf 2012…

20. You want relevant visitors.
Google want relevant visitors to find
you.
SEO

21. What do users want?
HELP!
60 TRILLION
INDIVIDUAL PAGES

22. What do Google want?

23. Google’s role

27. The SEO’s role

28. Guiding – not manipulating

29. Brute
force
doesn’t
work

30. The user’s role

31. Google
SEOs
Users

32. The SEO cycle aligns itself only
when SEOs give Google
what the user is looking for.
@TheDaveCollins

34. WE DID THIS:
“Looking for a software marketing company?
SoftwarePromotions are the software marketing company that
can produce results. No other software marketing company know
software marketing like SoftwarePromotions know software
marketing.
If you value your software marketing, and you should value your
software marketing, then have SoftwarePromotions handle
software marketing, and see what makes us the software
marketing experts.
Software Promotions: the software marketing company who know
software marketing.”

36. Why fear a slap?

37. That’s what a slap really fee

40. So an SEO walks into a bar, pub,
public house, Irish bar, drinking
establishment, restaurant serving
alcohol, beer, whiskey, wine, liquor,
Irish whiskey, sex, naked women,
twerking, free sex
@TheDaveCollins

41. Not (ever) like this!

43. Panda, Penguin & friends

44. Q: How do Google decide who to hit
hardest with Penguin updates?
A: Flip a coin

45. Q: How do Google decide who to hit
hardest with Penguin updates?
A: Flipper coin

48. $50,200,000,000
(2012 revenue)

49. Organic listings may have become
a platform for ad delivery.
But this doesn’t detract
from their value.
@TheDaveCollins

50. Realism

51. #1 search engine:

52. #1 browser:

53. #1 mobile OS:

54. #1 ad display network:

55. #1 web analysis tool:

56. If the odds of defeating your foe
are insurmountable, it may be
time to try a different approach.
@TheDaveCollins

57. As if that wasn’t enough…

58. (not provided)

60. (not provided)

61. (not provided)

62. How do I
deal with
(not provided)?

63. 1: Google Webmaster Tools

65. 2: Google Analytics

67. 3: Keyword rank tracking

69. 4: Keyword research

71. At this point it begins to get bad

76. “Google’s results are not the end
of the process. They’re part of
the algorithm.”
@TheDaveCollins

80. And now there’s Hummingbird

81. “So what lies ahead, Dave?”

82. Pain

83. Less accuracy, more extrapolation

84. It’s all (mostly) about keywords

85. The keyword research process
1. Brainstorm (pen & paper)
2. Analytics *
3. Competition
4. Keyword planner
5. Identify primary keyword
6. Identify supporting keywords
7. Analytics (existing)
8. Analysis
9. Decision: optimise or create
10. Link in.
85

103. Places to See in Prague
Prague is filled with beauty and can be enjoyed and explored for days, months, or a lifetime.
Prague weather is sometimes unpredictable, but the city has its charm at any time of the
year. The average visitor will only have a few days to discover Prague's many faces, so let's
not get carried away...
We recommend spending at least three days in Prague. This amount of time will allow you to
get to know Prague's main sights and historical areas without feeling rushed. If you've never
been to Prague, you shouldn't miss the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, which can both be
easily covered in a day. If you have more than three days available, you can explore Prague in
more detail. There are always things to do and places to go and it is a pleasure to just stroll
the streets of Lesser Town, Old Town and Hradcany. You can get outside of the historical
center and see more of the New Town. A lunch or dinner out in the pleasant residential area
of Vinohrady will let you experience the less touristy side of Prague.
Prague is a great walking city and we recommend that you bring comfortable shoes and hit
the cobblestones. Three days are a good minimum to enjoy Prague's sights and magical
atmosphere. Additional time will allow you to head out of Prague and visit some of the other
wonderful places in the Czech Republic.
Looking for more active things to do in Prague? The main sightseeing areas of Prague are
separated by the Vltava River. On the left bank there is the Prague Castle area and Lesser
Town. The right bank is home to the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the New Town.

104. Places to See in Prague
Prague is filled with beauty and can be enjoyed and explored for days, months, or a lifetime.
Prague weather is sometimes unpredictable, but the city has its charm at any time of the
year. The average visitor will only have a few days to discover Prague's many faces, so let's
not get carried away...
We recommend spending at least three days in Prague. This amount of time will allow you to
get to know Prague's main sights and historical areas without feeling rushed. If you've never
been to Prague, you shouldn't miss the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, which can both be
easily covered in a day. If you have more than three days available, you can explore Prague in
more detail. There are always things to do and places to go and it is a pleasure to just stroll
the streets of Lesser Town, Old Town and Hradcany. You can get outside of the historical
center and see more of the New Town. A lunch or dinner out in the pleasant residential area
of Vinohrady will let you experience the less touristy side of Prague.
Prague is a great walking city and we recommend that you bring comfortable shoes and hit
the cobblestones. Three days are a good minimum to enjoy Prague's sights and magical
atmosphere. Additional time will allow you to head out of Prague and visit some of the other
wonderful places in the Czech Republic.
Looking for more active things to do in Prague? The main sightseeing areas of Prague are
separated by the Vltava River. On the left bank there is the Prague Castle area and Lesser
Town. The right bank is home to the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the New Town.

105. Places to See in Prague
Prague sightseeing is a great idea as Prague is filled with beauty and can be enjoyed and
explored for days, months, or a lifetime. Prague weather is sometimes unpredictable, but the
city of Prague has its charm at any time of the year. The average visitor will only have a few
days to discover Prague's many faces, so let's not get carried away...
We recommend spending at least three days in Prague for Prague sightseeing. This amount
of time will allow you to get to know Prague's main sights and historical areas without feeling
rushed. If you've never been to Prague, you shouldn't miss the Prague Castle and Charles
Bridge, two Prague sightseeing options which can both be easily covered in a day. If you have
more than three days available, you can do Prague sightseeing in more detail. There are
always things to do and places to go and it is a pleasure to just stroll the streets of Lesser
Town, Old Town and Hradcany. You can get outside of the historical center and see more of
the New Town of Prague. A lunch or dinner out in the pleasant residential area of Vinohrady
will let you experience the less touristy side of Prague.
Prague is a great walking city and we recommend that you bring comfortable shoes and hit
the cobblestones. Three days are a good minimum to enjoy Prague's sights and magical
atmosphere. Additional time will allow you to head out of Prague and visit some of the other
wonderful places in the Czech Republic.
Looking for more active things to do in Prague? The main sightseeing areas of Prague are
separated by the Vltava River. On the left bank there is the Prague Castle area and Lesser

106. It’s also all about content

108. It’s also about
reputation & authority

109. The big secret:
How to get good rankings.

112. Google Webmaster Tools
Familiar?
112

116. Keyword tools

117. Power tools

118. Watch your competition
Open Site Explorer

119. SEO just works…
@TheDaveCollins

120. SEO is almost
awesome...
@TheDaveCollins

121. SEO is really really easy.
@TheDaveCollins

122. For every person who
knows what they’re talking
about with SEO, there are
thousands who are talking
out of their zone of knowledge.
@TheDaveCollins

123. SEO produces astonishing results
Dave Collins, SoftwarePromotions
dave@softwarepromotions.com
@TheDaveCollins