Google is transitioning its search algorithms to be based on machine learning, including RankBrain. This will make algorithms more winner-take-all, rewarding sites that perform well according to signals like click-through rate (CTR) and engagement. The document provides five strategies for SEOs to survive this change: 1) Use tools to identify "donkey" pages with low CTR and convert them to "unicorns" with high CTR through headline testing. 2) Leverage social media ads and remarketing to increase brand awareness and CTR. 3) Monitor engagement signals like bounce rate. 4) Promote inspirational brand content through Facebook ads. 5) Delete poor performing pages to avoid negative impact. The key is focusing
11. GOOGLE SEARCH TODAY: HEURISTIC
ALGORITHMS
Not Entirely Machine Learning Based
(Yet)Google Algorithm Change
History
12. • Machine Learning / AI-
Powered
• Checks if the search
results met user
expectations
• Make adjustments to query
& rankings based on the
outcome
Google Search In The
Future:
MACHINE-LEARNING
BASED
31. Google: “RankBrain Used on Long
Tail Queries” ... “Query
Interpretation ... That Changes
Rank”
32. Last Year: RankBrain as It’s Own
Thing?
*Note: Not Official Google Diagram.
The
CORE
Algorit
hm!
Panda
Pengui
n
RankBra
in
(New!)
The
CORE
Algorit
hm!
Panda
Pengui
n
35. Long Tail Query
Entered
RankBrain Makes a Guess and Re-Writes
The Query into Something it
Recognizes (Query Interpretation)
Did The
Result
Satisfy
The User?
Great. Next
Time I See
Queries Like
This, I’ll
Put This
Page at the
Top.
Larry’s Greatly Simplified
RankBrain Diagram*
*Note: Not Official Google Diagram. System Doesn’t
Update in Real-Time (yet).
Rats. Next
Time I See a
Query Like
This, I’ll
Try Some
Other Page
37. Organic Search Ranking
What’s A Good Click Through Rate
for Organic Search? (Spoiler
Alert: It’s in Flux)OrganicSearchClickThroughRate
38. Organic Search Ranking
What’s A Good Click Through Rate
for Organic Search? (Spoiler
Alert: It’s in Flux)OrganicSearchClickThroughRate CTRs
Trending
Higher in
Top
Positions
CTRs
Trending
Lower in
Lower
Positions
39. Organic Search Ranking
What’s A Good Click Through Rate
for Organic Search? (Spoiler
Alert: It’s in Flux)OrganicSearchClickThroughRate CTRs
Trending
Higher in
Top
Positions
CTRs
Trending
Lower in
Lower
Positions
41. THE CTR vs RANKING CURVE is
BENDING!
WHY?
Theory
Impossible
Because
Elimination of Right Side Rail
Ads?
That Happened
in February
42. THE CTR vs RANKING CURVE is
BENDING!
WHY?
Theory
Impossible
Because
Elimination of Right Side Rail
Ads?
That Happened
in February
Increase in Featured Snippets?
That would
shift the
curve
outwards, not
bend curve.
43. THE CTR vs RANKING CURVE is
BENDING!
WHY?
Theory
Impossible
Because
Elimination of Right Side Rail
Ads?
That Happened
in February
Increase in Featured Snippets?
That would
shift the
curve
outwards, not
bend curve.
Change in Mobile?
78% Desktop /
22% Mobile
(+/- 0.5%)
48. Behold The Power of CTR
Optimization
WHAT?
Page Title CTR Rank
Guerrilla Marketing: 20+ Examples &
Strategies to Stand Out
1% 8
20+ Jaw-Dropping Guerrilla Marketing
Examples
4.19% 5
50. Key Takeaway: ML (in General) Makes
Stuff Increasingly Winner-Take-All.
Larry’s RankBrain Theory: High CTR
Long Tail Rankings Get *Additional*
Bonus Ranking Boost
51. If True, What Should SEOs Do To
Prepare For RankBrain and Other ML-
Enabled Algos?
70. Keyword Headlines Using
Dynamic Keyword Insertion Do
OK, Not Great
Relative
Frequency
Average
CTR
Top 15% Top 5% Top 1%
Relative
CTR
Ads without
DKI
Ads with DKI
71. Keyword-y Headlines Less Likely To
Be UnicornsRelative
Frequency
Top 5%
Ads without
DKI
Ads with DKI
Top 1%
Relative
CTR
74. The Top 9 Emotions
That Make People
Click Like Crazy:
Step 1: Pick One of These
Emotional Triggers
• Laughter
• Amusement
• Curiosity
• Awe
• Anger
• Fear
• Joy
• Empathy
• Sadness
75. Step 2. Write Headline
Copy From Perspective of
One of These Personas
The Bearer
of Bad News
The
Hero/Villai
n
The
Comedian
The Feel
Good Friend
76. 3. Use This Title Template
Commonly Employed By
‘Viral’ Articles
Format
List post, quiz,
Infographic
Emotional
Hook
Emotional word or
superlative
Content Type
Images, quotes, pictures,
facts
Topic
Love, cats, dogs, fitness,
health, Donald Trump
5 AWESOME SEO STRATEGIES TO DEFEAT
RANKBRAIN
77. Unicorn Headlines = Top
10%
Odds of Finding Unicorn =
1:10
So Test 10 Different
Headlines
83. OK To Target Cheaper Markets
Average Cost Per Click Around
The World
Greater than US Average CPC
Average US CPC
1-20% Less than Average US CP
21-40% Less than
Average US CPC41-60% Less than Average US C
61-80% Less than
Average US CPC>81% Less than Average US CPC
Limited Data
85. • Identify Donkeys (Bottom 10%)
• Write 10 Different Headlines
• Test 10 Ads on AdWords
• Replace Old Headline With Winner
Larry’s Donkey to Unicorn
Converter: Summary
89. Meaning: CTR As Ranking
Factor Has Been In Place
For a Long Time!
90. "In addition, click data
(the website links on
which a user actually
clicks) is important for
evaluating the quality
of the search results
page.”
Udi Manber, Google's
former chief of search
quality, Testimony to
US Federal Trade
Commission, Obtained by
The Wall St. Journal,
August 8, 2012
92. 3. The Grand Unified Unicorn
Quaternary Theory: They All Have
High Engagement in Common
SEO Unicorn
Paid/Organic
Social
Unicorn
CRO Unicorn PPC Unicorn
94. Snippet Position CTR
most expensive google
adwords 1.1 0.6939
weight loss keywords 1 0.5595
insurance keywords 1 0.5408
most expensive adwords 1 0.5303
meta tags for seo 1.1 0.4768
how to increase ctr 1.5 0.4556
best call to action buttons 1.1 0.4503
meta tag for seo 1.4 0.4481
marketing buzz words 1 0.434
what is a good click
through rate 1.1 0.4127
Theory: Unusually
High CTR Appears to
Play a Major Role in
Snippet Selection.
Beat Expected CTR by
50%
110. Search Conversion Rate Distribution
Median: 2.35%
Top 25%: 5.31% and Above
Top 10%: 11.45%
and Above
SHAREOFALLACCOUNTS
SEARCH CONVERSION RATE. (WordStream Customer Data – Not Official Google Data)
What’s a Good Conversion
Rate?
113. Unicorn CRO!
1. On-Page Elements:
UX, Design, Images,
Copy, Fonts, Emotional
Triggers, Psychology,
Etc.
2. Brand Awareness:
People overwhelmingly
favor the brands
they're familiar with.
3.Growth Hack:
Engineer an offer to be
10x more compelling
and pull uses through
the funnel 10x faster.
Key Takeaway: Focus on All Three Areas!
#searchlove@larrykim
143. Better CTR & Conversion Rates -> More Clicks
& Conversions.
Improved CTR & CVR -> Better Rankings.
Better Rankings -> Even more clicks and
Virtuous Cycle of
Unicorn Land:
144. Terrible CTR & Engagement Rates -> Less
Clicks, Leads, Sales, etc.
Crappy User Engagement -> Terrible Rankings.
Terrible Rankings -> Even Fewer Clicks &
Sales.
Vs. Death Spiral of
RankBrain and Other ML-
Algos
145. How Marketing REALLY Works
STEP
1:
Promote Inspirational / Memorable Content about Your Brand
to your Target Market
STEP
2:
People See The Ad, But Don’t Necessarily Take Action Right
Away. (But Become Biased)
STEP
3:
Later when the Need Arises,
People either:
Do a Branded
Search for Your
Stuff
Do Un-Branded Search
but Biased Towards
Clicking & Buying
From You.