How can you diagnose major and minor SEO site issues with just the Google SERP and a quick click through? At SES Chicago 2012, I explained a process we use to give a quick analysis "from the horse's mouth" using the Google Search Results Page and a few search / modified search queries. With Search Engine Optimization changing (almost) daily, it's good to show clients or internal stakeholders how you appear in user Search Results. Your Google SERP *can* say a lot about you, your site and your site issues!!

1. Mission:
Grant
Simmons
The
Search
Agency
SEO
Diagnos:cs
for
the
Director,
SEO
&
Social
Product
skilled
Search
Mechanic
Chicago
|
November
12–16

2. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Grant
Simmons
• The
Search
Agency
• Agent
“Algo”
Search
Agent,
Father,
Sailor
But
not
necessarily
in
that
order
when
there’s
a
fair
wind
@simmonet

3. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Our
Mission
(should
we
decide
to
accept
it)
Provide answers to key problems
that will singularly improve a site's
performance using the right
diagnostic steps and tools.
@simmonet

4. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Tools:
Google
SERP
• Everyone
has
it
• Familiar
• Free
• Lots
of
data
points
• No
analyMcs
access
needed
• From
the
horse’s
mouth
• Who’s
going
to
argue
with
Google?
@simmonet

5. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Google
SERP
Sleuth
–
Pre-­‐Briefing
• Major issues
• Site
structure
• Internal
linking
• Core
opMmizaMon
• Content
issues
• Social
• Other
cool
stuff
@simmonet

6. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Let’s Go!

7. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
a brand!
• Suggest
@simmonet

8. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
• #
Results
• Intent
• Paid
Ads
• Title
/
Snippet

9. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Instant
Preview
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
• #
Results
• Intent
• Title
/
(Rich)
Snippets
• Paid
Ads
• Preview

10. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
• #
Results
• Intent
• Paid
Ads
• Title
/
(Rich)
Snippets
• Instant
Preview
• Share
of
SERP
• Universal
• Subdomains
• Sitelinks
@simmonet

11. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
The
Click
Through
• How
long
to
load?
• Do
I
know
what
they
do?
• Do
I
know
what
to
do?
• Trust
• Layout
• Content
• NavigaMon
• Text
/
Internal
links

12. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
A
Primary
Keyword
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
opportunity
@simmonet

13. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
A
Primary
Keyword
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
• Intent
• Title
/
(Rich)
Snippets
• Universal
• Local
• CompeMMon
• #
Results
?
• Paid
Ads
?

14. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Primary
Keyword
Do
they
show
up?
• Suggest
• Intent
• Title
/
(Rich)
Snippets
• Universal
• Local
• CompeMMon
• #
Results
• Paid
Ads
• Shopping
opportunity
• Related

15. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Site:
…
is
an
SEOs
best
friend
they
sho

16. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Site:
Assume
they
show
up
• #
Results
• Order
• Subdomains
what?
why?
how?

17. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Site:
oops!
Assume
they
show
up
• #
Results
• Order
• Subdomains
• URLs
• Pa`erns
ouch!
@simmonet

18. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Site:
Assume
they
show
up
• #
Results
• Order
similar?
• Subdomains
• URLs
• Pa`erns
• Last
page
@simmonet

19. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Site:www
Rinse
&
Repeat
#
• #
Results
• Order
• Pa`erns
• Anything
look
strange?

20. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Exact
Match
Content
Simple
• Quoted
content
• Opportunity
to
differenMate
feed
from
onsite
content
Unique?

21. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Ancillary
Missions
• XML
Sitemap
• Robots.txt
• HTML
Sitemap

22. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Advanced
Search
google.com/advanced_search
• Terms
appearing
where
• Last
update
date
• Reading
level
• New
top
filter
layout
allinMtle:
allinurl:
allintext:

23. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Google
SERP
Diagnos:cs
Step-­‐by-­‐Step
• Brand
• Click-­‐through
• Primary
Keyword
• Site:
/
Site:www
• Ancillary
searches
• Advanced
searches
@simmonet

24. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Thank
you
Grant
Simmons
grant@thesearchagency.com
@simmonet
linkedin.com/in/simmonet
www.thesearchagency.com
www.thesearchagents.com
www.hseo.com
@simmonet

25. SERP
Sleuth
Grant
Simmons
The
Search
Agency
Director,
SEO
&
Social
Product
Mission:
SEO
DiagnosMcs
for
the
skilled
Search
Mechanic
Chicago
|
November
12–16

26. SERP
Sleuth
Grant
Simmons
The
Search
Agency
Director,
SEO
&
Social
Product
Mission:
SEO
DiagnosMcs
for
the
skilled
Search
Mechanic
Chicago
|
November
12–16

27. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
One
Stealth
Tool
SEM
Rush
• Keywords
• Traffic
• Links
• Rankings
• CompeMMon
• Winners
&
Losers
@simmonet

28. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Sitelinks
>
Internal
Linking
@simmonet

29. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
Social
Do
they
show
up?
• Authorship
• Frequency
(age)
• Social
opMmizaMon
• Content
/
Links
@simmonet

30. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
Nega:ve
Do
they
show
up?
• Usual
suspects
• How
bad?
Brand
+
ripoff
Brand
+
reviews
@simmonet

31. Chicago
|
November
12–16,
2012
|
#SESCHI
Brand
Media
Do
they
show
up?
• Video
• Images
@simmonet