Cancer Research UK relies heavily on organic search, with 75% of site visits coming from organic results. Nancy Scott discusses how CRUK works to overcome crawlability issues and prepare for peak periods of activity. This involves empowering multiple teams across the organization to make digital decisions, migrating legacy sites to a single domain architecture, identifying and addressing technical barriers to efficient crawling, and embedding cultural changes to view content as a continuous lifecycle rather than a static process. The goal is to maximize the success of organic search and create better user-focused content.

1. Nancy Scott, Search Manager at Cancer Research UK
HOW CANCER RESEARCH UK RAMP UP TO CORE PERIODS OF ACTIVITY
Overcoming Crawlability Issues &
Preparing for Peak Periods

2. SEARCH MANAGER AT CANCER RESEARCH UK
Nancy Scott
At CRUK, working to embed organic search into ways of working for
every team – not just an add-on at the end of the content process
75% of site visits organic – crucial channel for every team
Multiple propositions running all year around on different platforms

3. ORGANIC SEARCH AT CANCER RESEARCH UK
Empowering teams to make digital decisions
Work with multiple teams and stakeholders
Across varied user personas and scenarios
Need to empower teams to make digital decisions in a scalable way

4. SINGLE DOMAIN INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE PROJECT
Digital Transformation at CRUK
Multiple legacy
microsites and
platforms
Migrated and re-
architected into a single
domain
Managing technical
SEO, dev time and
stakeholder
expectations

5. IDENTIFYING BLOCKERS TO CRAWL EFFICIENCY
Overcoming crawlability issues
Legacy platforms, non-indexable pages and canonicals masking real
issues

6. Constantly re-running crawls to get best data output
Using that data to implement technical change
Bringing teams along with you into the process
IDENTIFYING BLOCKERS TO CRAWL EFFICIENCY
Overcoming crawlability issues

7. CONTENT AS A LIFECYCLE, NOT A STATIC PROCESS
Embedding cultural change
Search
opportunity
identified
Competitor
analysis and
content audit
Copy and /or
page created,
optimised
simultaneously
Success
measured
Performance
review

8. DRYATHLON 2015
Ramping up for peak periods

9. TACKLING LEGACY BEHAVIOUR AND MISATTRIBUTION
Capitalising on your success

10. MAKING SEO AND USER-LED CONTENT WORK TOGETHER
Creating better content to maximise success

11. EMPOWERING TEAMS TO PUT DIGITAL FIRST
The future of organic search at CRUK
People
Processes
SEO
Technology

12. Any Questions?