What is better than position #1 in the SERP?
‘Position zero’ of course.
For me BrightonSEO last week was all about the position zero and rich snippets.
Rich snippets are everywhere. Shopping, flights, local businesses, answer boxes, jobs, the list goes on.
Voice search is increasing and if the predictions are true search queries will be reduced down to a veritable buffet of rich snippets. Google Home will serve you weather snippets for breakfast whilst you idly swipe through your news feeds on your mobile device.
The proliferation of the rich snippet correlates with the demise of the organic CTR and possible death of SEO.
But it does not have to be a bad thing!
“Rand’s presentation provides you with a strategy for SEO in the age of the snippet. Whereas Grant’s presentation will then provide you with the tools and tactics needed to implement the strategy.”
SEO has been proclaimed dead before. Of course we all know this isn’t true, it’s just changing, and changing fast.
I am going to tell you about two presentations from BrightonSEO last week that were not just mere introductions to rich snippets but masterful SEO ‘knowledge bombs’. Packed full of action points and taught by non-other than Rand Fishkin and Grant Simmons.
Rand’s keynote provides you with the overview of the state of SEO in the age of the snippet. Grant’s presentation will then furnish you with the tools and tactics needed to implement that strategy.
So hold onto to your fashionable facial hair SEO’s, things are happening on the SERP – big things.
The future of SEO is on the SERP
Who better to fight the lowly search marketers corner than SEO A-lister Rand Fishkin.
Speaking to a packed-out auditorium last week he announced the coming of ‘Snipagaeddon’ and the demise of the organic SERP, before picking us up by our collective shirt-tails and guiding us by the hand to the future of SEO – optimising for rich snippets.
We are going to have to move fast to get ahead of the game. Here are Rand’s action points:
#1 Control what appears for your brand.
Reputation management SEO. Try and get on the rich snippets that your brand should be on. Find the sites that rank in your space and build profiles on them, claim your panels and leverage the rich snippets as much as you can.
#2 Create Content for the Google platforms that Google has a bias for.
If Google prefers to show their customers a particular product then you should be making content for that platform. Create and optimise other forms of content such as YouTube videos and prepare for the growth of voice search.
#3 When KWs show aggregated answers influence the publishers below to get listed.
Google curates ‘position zero’ from all the most relevant pages on the SERP. Example, If a publisher has a list of “20 best SaaS tools” there is a chance for you to use some good old fashioned outreach and become the 21st tool!
#4 Entice the click.
Try to encourage the click through on the snippet. Snippets can provide the answer without the need for the searcher to have to click, but does it have to be that way. Rand uses a list as an example. If a list only shows six items but there are twenty on the list the searcher is probably going to want to look at the other fourteen.
#5 If other sites can rank, but you can’t, use barnacle SEO.
Much like #3. Use sponsored posts, guest posts and influencer outreach to get ahead in the SERP.
It’s all good Rand telling us what to do, but how can we do it?
For this you need tools, tools worthy of Batman…
Tools for the age of the Snippet
Tools for the age of the snippet
Batman needs a lot of tools to fight crime. You are going to need an equal amount of tools to successfully put Rand’s action plan into place.
Luckily Grant Simmon’s Batman inspired: ‘The Batman SEO Toolbelt to Vanquish Google’s SERP’ is about to furnish you with the tools necessary for the task, it’s as if he were Alfred himself!
These are tools that Batman (allegedly) keeps in his tool kit:
Ahrefs (The one inch punch of SEO tools — so much packed into one tool!)
Answer The Public – Pro Version
Grant’s 128 slide presentation will tell you exactly how you can use these tools and start ranking for position zero. Enjoy.
A summary
This is not easy to do, however, the harder SEO gets the higher the barriers to entry are.
The time to start heavily investing in the snippets is right now, the earlier you start the harder it will be for your competitors to depose you.
There are no excuses. Rand Fishkin himself has told you what to do and Grant Simmons has told you how to do it, so get moving marketers, the time is now!
