SEO LEADERSHIP THROUGH FRICTIONLESS CLARITY WHY THE HELL NOT?!

Time

Woo

-Woo

Po break schedule

hp://portent.co/why-the-heck-not

@portentint

Examples and exploding heads portrayed in this presentation are based on an aggregation of actual events. I smushed them together. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. I am not talking about you. Really. Honest. I’m not.

@portentint

If you get fired, it is not my fault.

@portentint

This story has a happy ending.

@portentint

WE’RE SMART

@portentint

HERE’S THE THING

AW YEAHHH WE GOT THE GOOD IDEAS WE’RE GONNA

KICK SOME ASS

@portentint

heeelllllppp meeeeeeee

ALAS.

@portentint

“Start producing good content.” “What’s the impact?” “You’ll build authori & brand.” “We’ll need to test that.”

@portentint

“Fix all of your broken incoming links.” “What’s the impact?” “You’ll reclaim all this link juice.” “I’ll need to run this by my IT team.”

@portentint

“Tweak your site architecture like this…” “No, we can’t do that. Can we just skip to the next thing?”

From @gfiorelli1  

@portentint

“Please let us know when you change anything.” “Anything?” “It’s really, really important.” “It’s not up to us, but I’ll ask.”

From @LocalSEOGuide  

@portentint

“Fix these on-page issues.” “[NAME HERE] tells me it’s not necessary.” “Sorry, but it’s really imporatnt.” “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that...” “I…” (partly) from @ShahMenz  

@portentint

One time, I kinda lost it.

Part 1: In which you learn from my mistakes.

I was puzzled

Our job: Move towards the goal

Their job: Move towards the goal

why won't you take my good advice?

@portentint

he wants us to change the nav?!

OMG he's so cute and innocent i could just

hug him.

@portentint

@portentint

fix this thing and we'll do better.

trust me.

HOW YOU THINK YOU LOOK

@portentint

fix this thing and we'll do better.

trust me.

HOW YOU REALLY LOOK

You bring risk, effort & ambigui

In that context, their first question is…

“Why should we?”

Once that question is asked…

…you’re scrambling, chasing the question, trying to answer it, losing focus on the goals

@portentint

WE are asked to LEAD

But we’re not in charge

“BECAUSE I’M RIGHT” WILL NEVER WORK

IF YOU’RE NOT IN CHARGE,

BECAUSE I SAID SO IS NOT LEADERSHIP

IT’S NOT THEM, IT’S US

Part 2: In which we sometimes fix it

We have to crush ‘why should we’

And replace it with…

Why the hell not?!!!!

@portentint

“Please let us know of upcoming changes to architecture/server setup.” “OK, how osten.” “Daily updates would be great.” “Our internal process is weekly.” “That works.” “Great, we’ll get that set up.”

@portentint

The heavens opened

@portentint

“We need to consolidate these 3 links.” “Why?” “It’ll help channel authori.” “Done.”

@portentint

The heavens opened

@portentint

“You need a content strategy.” “Can’t do that.” “How about if we try one longform piece?” “Go for it.”

@portentint

The heavens opened

We got to ‘why not’

To get to why not, know the numbers and establish frictionless clari

@portentint

Frictionless: In comparison to other options, requiring almost no effort

@portentint

Clari: Easy to understand the action, how to do it and what it’ll require

@portentint

“Please let us know of upcoming changes to architecture/server setup.” “OK, how osten.” “Daily updates would be great.” “Our internal process is weekly.” “That works.” “Great, we’ll get that set up.”

Frictionless

Clari

Nirvana

Part 2: In which I share my retirement plan (and the three steps to get to why not)

Capybara Kingdom

how could you not love this face?

Capybara Kingdom

Petting Zoo Season Tickets Recipes Events

Welcome to Capybara Kingdom! We’re the world’s first capybara preserve and zoo.

Come take in the spectacle of the world’s largest rodents as they cavort and frolic in our best imitation of their native habitat. We have a capybara petting zoo, capybara events, capybara information and yes, weekly capybara adoptions. For more informations, please lick here

All capybara, all the time!!! Season passes for only $50!!!!

10 things you didn’t know about capybara

New therapy capybara program launches

Seriously, if you want to learn about Capybara, try this link Escape rumors completely false

You’re hired

@portentint

HERE’S THE THING

AW YEAHHH WE GOT THE GOOD IDEAS WE’RE GONNA

KICK SOME ASS

@portentint

“Start producing good content.” “What’s the impact?” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “What will that change?” “You may rank higher.” “How much higher?” “I can’t be sure.” “We’ll need to test that.”

“Why should we?”

Time to get to why not

FIRST, KNOW THE NUMBERS

No numbers gets you here

@portentint

visitors

Things to know

@portentint

visitors revenue

Things to know

@portentint

visitors revenue conversion rate

Things to know

@portentint

visitors revenue conversion rate micro conversions

Things to know

@portentint

visitors revenue conversion rate micro conversions current ad spend(s)

Things to know

@portentint

visitors revenue conversion rate micro conversions current ad spend(s) labor costs

Things to know

“Ian slow w/ maths”

@portentint

visitors revenue visitor value =  

Things to know

Handy-dandy calculator

@portentint

5% conversion rate no micro-conversions avg order = $10

Things to know

@portentint

$50k/year on Adwords 1% conversion rate $2000 in sales

Things to know

@portentint

Something else you need

The goals The Goals

$10,000 revenue goal

$5,000 revenue goal

Handy-dandy calculator

The goals Handy-dandy calculator

CREATE CLARITY

@portentint

LACK OF CLARITY SHORTENS ATTENTION SPAN

@portentint

“I think you should produce good content.” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “You may rank higher.” “I can’t be sure.”

Aention Span: Your Mom

@portentint

“I think you should produce good content.” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “You may rank higher.” “I can’t be sure.”

Aention Span: Your Dad

@portentint

“I think you should produce good content.” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “You may rank higher.” “I can’t be sure.”

Aention Span: Your Dog

@portentint

“I think you should produce good content.” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “You may rank higher.” “I can’t be sure.”

Aention Span: Yourself

@portentint

“I think you should produce good content.” “You’ll build authori & improve engagement.” “You may rank higher.” “I can’t be sure.”

Aention Span: Your Client

@portentint

LACK OF CLARITY HIDES THE DESIRED OUTCOME

@portentint

LACK OF CLARITY MAKES RESOURCING IMPOSSIBLE

@portentint

LACK OF CLARITY FRUSTRATES STAKEHOLDERS

@portentint

Lack of clari brings back the Question Of Doom

@portentint

“Why should we put our collective ass on the line for this!?”

@portentint

Clari comes from context

The goals Handy-dandy calculator

@portentint

we need to add 10,000 visitors OR double conversion rate

OR do a lile bit of both

COMPETITION: BUZZSUMO

COMPETITION: SEMRUSH

COMPETITION: MOZ/MAJESTIC

COMPETITION: RIVALIQ

COMPETITION: ADAGE DATACENTER

@portentint

Hmmm. Videos get a lot of aention. I wonder if we could add 10,000 visitors that way? Or do the equivalent?

@portentint

If we could get 12,000 views on our video channel, and we could get 120 of those to become season ticket holders, that’ll sure help us hit our goals.

Why not try it?!!!

@portentint

Clari = A well-defined action

@portentint

“You should produce good content.”

“Create a weekly, 10-20 second video recorded using a cell phone, posted to the Capybara Kingdom YouTube channel”

Why not do it?!!!

@portentint

Clari = Understandable

@portentint

“Since the Panda update thin content’s really been a problem. Google’s trying to incorporate more human factors into content. We

need to build out substantial content to balance the thin stuff…..”

@portentint

“Since the Panda update thin content’s really been a problem. Google’s trying to incorporate more human factors into content. We

need to build out substantial content to balance the thin stuff…..”

HEMINGWAY EDITOR

BLANK SHEET OF PAPER TEST

If you showed this to a non-SEO stranger, would they understand it?

@portentint

“Create a weekly cute capybara video.”

Why not do it?!!!

@portentint

Easy to delegate

@portentint

Anyone with a cell phone that records video and relatively steady hands can do it.

@portentint

ahem

Why not try it?!!!

@portentint

“We want to modi the navigation.” “What do you recommend?” “Something like this.” [shows example]

Cool tool: Skitch

Why not?!!!

@portentint

“We need to speed up your site.” “What’s slowing it down?” “These images and this script. I can get you the faster versions today.”

Why not fix it?!!!

@portentint

Must-have: Narrative

@portentint

“Let’s get armadillos into the next video.” “I told you last month: Capybara eat armadillos.”

Cool tool: Gmail

Cool tool: Evernote

Cool tools: Hipchat/Slack

Cool tool: PM sostware (really)

CREATE CLARITY

REMOVE FRICTION

@portentint

Friction is about perspective

@portentint

No round trips

@portentint

“Create a weekly cute capybara video.” “Why?” “All of these people ask questions about them.” “What will that change?” “You’ll get aention and links…” “Interesting. What will it take?” “Let me check on that.” “Go for it.”

doomed

@portentint

“We really need to speed up your site.” “OK, what do we need to do?” “I’ll need to ask the development team.”

doomed

@portentint

“Since the escape, we’ve had fewer visits.” “How many?” “I’ll check the data when I get back to the office.”

doomed

@portentint

“We want to modi the navigation.” “What do you recommend?” “Let me talk to the team.”

doomed

@portentint

we’re working on it let me check that i’m not sure hang on while i look i’ll have that answer for you in a couple days it’s in your inbox i don’t know i thought you’d know here are the 25 ways we could do it i have no freaking idea heh i know, but it’d be beer if you figured it out for yourself hmmm squirrel! let me see if fran’s available to answer that

@portentint

we’re working on it let me check that i’m not sure hang on while i look i’ll have that answer for you in a couple days it’s in your inbox i don’t know i thought you’d know

here are the 25 ways we could do it i have no freaking idea heh i know, but it’d be beer if you figured it out for yourself hmmm squirrel! let me see if fran’s available

Round trips waste time

Round trips cause decisions in a vacuum

Round trips create friction

@portentint

To reduce round trips, learn the @#)($* out of everything

OGILVY ON ADVERTISING

INFLUENCE

GETTING NAKED (NO, NOT THAT WAY)

TREEHOUSE.COM

KHAN ACADEMY

STACK EXCHANGE

QUORA

@portentint

pick one social network. learn to use it as a marketing tool, top to boom. move on.

@portentint

Must have: Knowledge base (info at your fingertips)

EVERNOTE Evernote

PLAIN TEXT Plain text

Cool tool: Confluence Questions

@portentint

what is the…? where are the…? how do I…? who do I ask for…? who is…? what if…? can I…?

Get ‘seed’ questions from Quora

@portentint

No silly mistakes

@portentint

mistakes ≠ errors

From Hubspot: hp://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/14-worst-pos-ever

From Hubspot: hp://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/14-worst-pos-ever

Every mistake erodes trust and creates friction

USE THIS

Cool tool: Grammarly

Cool service: Wordy.com

Not a brain substitute

@portentint

Thinking > Testing

@portentint

@portentint

@portentint

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE PUT ALL OUR CONTENT BEHIND A LOGIN WALL?

@portentint

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE 19,523 DUPLICATE PAGES?

@portentint

Must have: The knowledge

@portentint

CRO: See what’s already been tested

Cool resource: WhichTestWon

@portentint

Drag race your site

Cool resource: Webpagetest.org

@portentint

See the links

Why not fix it?!!!

@portentint

Know the relative cost/benefits

Make it a no-brainer

@portentint

It’ll require about 1 hour per week.

@portentint

You already have someone training the animals. Just have them do a 30-second recording every day.

@portentint

1 video = 1 hour of work $50/hour $50/video

@portentint

If the video generates 100 visits to the site in its lifetime we get a measurable 1:1 ROI

@portentint

If the video generates 5 orders to the site in its lifetime we get a measurable 1:1 ROI

@portentint

Adwords budget = $50,000/year 20,000 clicks 1% conversion rate 200 orders @ $10/order $2,000 …

@portentint

6-month Cat Fancy ad = $25,000 ??? calls ??? conversion rate …

@portentint

Seing up compression = .5s faster load time = 4 hours’ work = $400

@portentint

Seing up compression 25% faster load time 40 orders = 1:1 ROI

@portentint

Compare to Adwords…

Relatively low cost/clear benefit reduces friction

Why not try it?!!!

FRICTIONLESS

We have clear actions that are relatively low-cost, high-benefit

This is no longer ambiguous risk.

It’s a set of actions to which we all say…

@portentint

why not!why not!

why not!

@portentint

thanks for the help. ian's happy.

we're happy.

time to return to our vats for

regeneration.

fix this thing and we'll do better.

trust me.

HOW YOU LOOK

What about strategy?

Strategy only maers if you execute on it.

Our advice only maers if $#!! gets done.

You validate a strategy by implementing it.

SEOs are leaders who aren’t in charge

SEOs must get to why not

Know the numbers

Create frictionless clari

@portentint

WE’RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM

most clients won’t get to why not

that’s ok. we still love them.

be brave.

‘why not’ always helps

Ian Lurie @portentint www.portent.com

hp://portent.co/why-the-heck-not

SMALL, UNMARKED BILLS PLEASE