#pubcon In House SEO and Leadership Alex Volk Search Marketing Director Microsoft Corporation
Dec 12, 2014
#pubcon
In House SEOand Leadership
Alex VolkSearch Marketing Director
Microsoft Corporation
#pubcon
Obligatory Background
• 10 years at Microsoft (digital marketing)
• 6+ years in SEO• Founded Central SEO team• 9th consecutive Pubcon
[email protected]@alexvolkhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvolk
How things looked on day 1@alexvolk
#pubcon
SEO @ Microsoft Circa 2009
@alexvolk
No centralized, all-up Microsoft SEO program
No access to consistent all-up or site-level SEO metrics
Minimal cross-Microsoft SEO collaboration
Misconceptions of SEO were common
Dozens of SEO vendors provided the same list of recommendations
Digital marketers and developers wanted guidance
#pubcon
Office
Windows
Support
Dynamics
TechNetSMB
MSFT
Online Store
Windows Phone
XBOX
Overlapping Content
Inconsistent UX
Domains/Subdomains
Product Versions
Internal Kywd Comp
MSN
Yammer
MSDN
Surface
Content Types•Pre-sales•Post-sales•Ecommerce•News/Blogs•Search
Global Markets•1-140+
CMS Platforms•Over 12 in use
Analytics •Webtrends•Omniture•MDA•Other
Stakeholders •IT (OPS)•Design/Dev•Writers•Site Managers•Subsidiaries•Agencies/Vendors•Executives
All-up SEO Challenges
@alexvolk
#pubcon
Keyword Research & Copywriting
Technical SEO Audits
Site Develmnt. & Migration
SEO Training & Events
Content & Social SEO Alignment
Ad Hoc SEO Consulting
Competitive SEO Analysis
Link Acquisition
Key Benefits
–Quick turn-around–Consistent methodology–High quality, yet affordable–Completely localized–Aligned to a central strategy–“Productized” and activated–Make SEO more consumable–Scalable for many markets
2014: Delivering a “Service Center”
@alexvolk
#pubcon
The “Hybrid SEO” Approacho Assigned designated SEO leado Defined and reporting SEO targetso Categorized lists of targeted keywordso Prioritized technical SEO opportunitieso Adopted our social sharing approacho On-boarded with Bright Edge Platformo Utilizes iCrossing or other SEO agency
Central SEO Team
Office
Windows
Support
Dynamics
MSDNSMB
MSFT
Online Store
Windows Phone
XBOX Skype
MSN
Yammer
STB
Surface
@alexvolk
#pubcon
Managing the Masses
Practitioners vs. “Enthusiasts”
@alexvolk
Not all stakeholders are created equal!
Which group do you think did this?
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Managing the Masses
Engineering
Talk in their language!
@alexvolk
Not all stakeholders are created equal!
#pubcon
Managing the Masses
Management
Balance insightsand impact
@alexvolk
Not all stakeholders are created equal!
#pubcon
– Entity Search – Structured Data & Schema – People, Places, Things
– Mobile Search – direct action, not clicks – think Click to Call
– AI & Cortana – Digital Assistants, Agents & Predictive Search
– Search to App, Google App indexing, Universal Apps
Where I’m Educating Management
@alexvolk
#pubcon
Commit to Storytelling
@alexvolk
#pubcon
[email protected]@alexvolkhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvolk