With visions of SEOmoz dancing in our heads, we decided to write down the top 10 takeaways from the fantastic SEOmoz seminar held in Seattle August 30-Sep 1. It was hard selecting our favorites, but fun reviewing the slides and the information we learned.

1. Context is King
We've always thought successful SEO was a blend of on page optimization around specific keywords & link building.  Now, we know there's more to it.  The context of your content is highly correlated with rankings and thus traffic.  Expand or rework your content to include more emphasis on context.  Think including more references to travel & vacations if your content is about going to Java so the search engines don't have to work hard to understand that your use of “Java” is different from content about “Java” the programming language.  Use SEOmoz's LDA tool for measurements.

2. Local Search Results are Crucial to SEO Success
Google states that local searches account for 20% of their search volume, so it's clear local listings are important. Aside from the obvious, Google, Yahoo and Bing local listings, utilizing this feature on sites such as Facebook, Citysearch, and the My Maps feature on Google are places that might not come to mind initially, but that are heavily trafficked and searched.

3. Understand your Search Space
Understanding your search space  is the first step in gaining increased visibility in the SERPs. No longer is search engine visibility broken down into  sponsored links and organic results.  Today, we see results from maps, images, news, videos and more getting pulled into traditional SERPs based on the assumed intent of the search query. Find gaps and opportunities in the blended SERPs for highly competitive keyword spaces.

4. Define your Search Strategy
Combine data-based insights with specific to-dos to create a product focused strategy. Think big and creatively, then document your strategy and share with key players. Revisit your strategy to define your specific to-dos and measure your successes.

5. Branded Search & Reputation Management
Branded search & reputation management just got easier.  With domain stacking, your domain can fill more than two positions within a Google SERP for branded search queries.  And, Sitelinks from Google AdWords ads help strengthen your brand's CTR. 

6. Tips for Google Places Optimization
- On Page Optimization: include your physical address on your website, place city and state information in your page titles and meta data
- Claim and/or Create LBL:  see getlisted.org to check your businesses local business listings.keep business information consistent
- Gather Reviews: volume of reviews impact the algorithm for the “7 pack”, quality will most likely start having an impact in the future

7. View Twitter as a Science
Tweeting about your customers and avoiding the word “you” is the biggest lesson to be learned when it comes to effective Tweeting. Small things, such as having a biography, a picture to accompany the profile, and linking to your site seem like givens, but they carry quite a bit of weight. Follow people, businesses and brands that you'd like to follow you back, and remain positive in your tweets. Think about the type of person or brand you'd like to follow – would you want to read something negative?

8. Manual Link Building is Still Efficient
In the online world, we've certainly grown accustomed to doing much of our business via email. This makes picking up the phone a bit of an anomaly, and therefore makes you stand out. Acquiring links through a friendly email prospect – keeping it light, no strings attached feeling, accessible – is still a great way to go. If it's a large business or site, picking up the phone and having a conversation with a journalist, business or blogger is a great way to not only pitch your links more directly, it also gives you the chance to get feedback about what the aforementioned really want, so that you can cater to them in the future.

9. Pay Attention to Metrics that Matter
Track what matters and ignore the rest.  Web analytics tools have thousands of reports and nearly unlimited data sets.  Don't get caught in the vastness of data, rather pay attention to metrics that matter.  In Google Analytics, check out weighted sort and make sure you're using custom reports.

10. Keyword Research
Expose gaps & opportunities in your keyword research by comparing actual visitor numbers to forecasted search volume.  Calculate a click through rate and target those keywords or keyword groups with low click through rates.

Two of us were fortunate to go this year from Blue Tent Marketing– and look forward to next year’s conference, ice cream breaks, and geeking out with other SEO’ers.  A big thank you to SEOmoz and the great speakers!

Erica Prather & Lindsay Reither
Blue Tent Marketing