SEO is dead as we know it. The old math of increased backlinks and stuffing keywords is now a target for Google to identify your site and bury it in the search results. SEO is no longer a math problem, it's a human one. Social indicators are becoming key to ranking and link algorithms are being retired. It's time for you to see the truth about SEO... and adjust accordingly. This presentation was originally sponsored and shown through a webinar with Compendium.

1. “SEO is dead.
Long live SEO!”
The Essential [SEO] Toolkit for 2012

2. Why Should You Listen to Me?
• DK New Media
– Launched 18 Months Ago
– Offices in downtown Indianapolis
– International Clients in US, CA, UK, FR, IT and NZ
– 1 Book Deal
– Monthly opportunities to relevant audiences
– 100,000 visits per month from relevant
audiences
– 40,000 visits per month from new search visitors
on relevant keywords
– Profitable from Day 1, 4 FTEs with another 3
targeted for 2012
– Expansion: Sponsored Blog, Radio Show,
Newsletter, Video
@compendium
@mktgtechblog
– SEO Clients: Angie’s List, ChaCha, Webtrends
Mindjet, Right On Interactive and more #seoisdead

3. Why I Changed My Mind!
1. I figured out the majority of RELEVANT, CONVERTING visitors were
from long-tail keywords.
2. I figured out that SOCIAL provides unlimited potential while SEARCH
is limited.
3. When I shifted focus on GREAT CONTENT and SOCIAL PROMOTION,
my audience grew five-fold.

4. Search Continues to Evolve
Before Present
• Platform • Personalization
• Content • Platform
• Links • Content
• Relevant Links
Google has evolved past the ‘backlink’ and is using a number of
other indicators, such as social, to indicate the popularity of content.
This has moved the needle… from math and SEO puritans to inbound
marketing professionals. SEO, in its traditional sense, is dead.

5. Google’s Top 5 SEO Mistakes
1. Value Proposition
2. Segmented Approach
3. Workarounds
4. SEO Trends
5. Slow Iteration
http://mkt.gs/5-Mistakes-SEO
Maile Ohye, Google

6. Make It
Compelling!

7. Answer the Question!

8. CTAs and Landing Pages
• Make it shareable!
• Tell them what to do!
• Tell them when to do it!
• Show them the way!

9. Content and Intent
Lead Nurturing

10. Path to Engagement
Find
Read Click Contact Buy
CRM/Subscribe
Email

11. Marketing and SEO
How are your offline marketing
efforts supporting your online
marketing campaigns?

12. Promotion
• Like
• Tweet
• Share
• +1
• Stumble
• Pin

13. Retention
• Newsletter is vital
• Nurtures leads
• Push vs pull
• Returns visitors

14. Stop Workarounds
• Don’t use page ‘sculpting’ techniques to over-
optimize your content. Example:
rel=“nofollow”

15. Over Optimization
• Don’t focus on algorithms, focus on your visitors.
• Keyword density, keyword stuffing, keyword usage,
backlinks… will no longer impact your business as
much as writing great content.

16. Be Agile
Define, implement, measure, improve, repeat

18. Text MKTG to 71813 to Subscribe
Douglas Karr
@douglaskarr
http://about.me/douglaskarr
http://www.dknewmedia.com
http://www.marketingtechblog.com
http://www.corporatebloggingtips.com
CEO, DK New Media
Author, Corporate Blogging for Dummies
Founder, The Marketing Technology Blog
We help companies reach their online
marketing potential.