Milestone Team attended the week long SMX West 2016 conference, in the last session panelists took time describing what had the biggest impact on them during the week. Below is a short recap:

• Set up your SEO roadmap

Derrick Wheeler from Microsoft discussed the importance of setting up your SEO roadmap before actually diving into research or content. It's critical to understand your goals prior to planning. Below is the six step process that he always follows when it comes to creating an SEO strategy:

• Define your goals and setup reporting to track those goals: define the KPI's!
• Key Word Research: update your process to categorize and organize your information
• Technical site audits: outline action items and prioritize. Go after the biggest impacts!
• Content Strategy: Don't forget about reviewing your competitor's sites and keywords. Think about their content gaps and how you can fulfill them on your site.
• Strategy: Link building strategy should flow naturally through your content marketing efforts and off-line partnerships.
• Reporting: Ensure you close the loop and report back on established KPI's. Measure your success.

• Build a strong local presence

Raj Nijjer, with Yext, solidified the importance of local online visibility.  If you're a brick and mortar outlet, optimizing for your location is imperative. If this describes your business, then be sure that you are looking at the following:

• Your biggest KPI should be foot traffic! Your Google My Business page is key. If you have multiple locations that you need to manage, look into the API that Google has released in order to claim and manage your listings.
• Location data: UNAP information is still key and will only grow in importance as the online local ecosystem expands. Ensure the UNAP is correct and any inconsistencies are resolved!

• Leverage on emerging tech trends

• Beacon technology: this will become increasingly popular and successful. Ensure you review a paid beacon strategy to drive additional revenues.

Panel:

Derrick Wheeler:  Senior SEO Architect, Microsoft

Ellen White: Director- Organic Search, Ford Motor Company

Ayat Shukairy: SVP Client Relations, Invesp

Brad Geddes: Marketing Consultant, Certified Knowledge

Raj Nijjer - VP Community & Publisher, Yext

If you have additional questions regarding our article or SEO strategies please leave a comment below, visit our website, or email sales@milestoneinternet.com directly.

Contributed by:
Zulema Romero, Sr. Director of Client Services