These slides were presented at the Semrush webinar "Is the SERP Stacked Against You? Where Average Sites Can Beat Super-Authorities". Video replay and transcript are available at https://www.semrush.com/webinars/is-the-serp-stacked-against-you-where-average-sites-can-beat-super-authorities/

1. @mordyoberstein
Room for the
Average Site?
The SERP, Super-Authorities, & Your Site

2. Who is this guy?
@mordyoberstein
Hi, I’m Mordy Oberstein and I’m the
Liaison to the SEO Community at Wix.
Find me on Twitter: @MordyOberstein

3. @mordyoberstein
3-Step Program
1. Data Dive
2. Exploring the Why
3. Practical Steps

4. I Was Just
Walking Along,
Minding My
Own Business….
@mordyoberstein

5. @mordyoberstein
When I saw this…

6. To What Extent?

7. What Did I Do?
@mordyoberstein

8. Let’s Go for a Stroll on the SERP

9. Count with Me…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3

10. Count with Me…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 5

11. Count with Me…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 5
National Org = 1

12. Count with Me…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 5
National Org = 1
Your Average Site = 0

13. How Likely Is This?

14. And If We Go
Specific?
@mordyoberstein

15. Did that too…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3

16. Did that too…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 1

17. Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 1
National Org = 1
Did that too…
@mordyoberstein

18. Did that too…
@mordyoberstein
Super-Authorities = 3
.Gov or .Edu = 1
National Org = 1
Your Average Site = 5

19. What’s ‘Top-Level’
vs. Highly-Detailed?
Top-Level Highly-Detailed
alzheimer's medication is there a way to track acne outbreaks
so I can treat them better
colon cancer screening kidney stone surgery recovery time laser
vs tracheostomy
flying and blood clots I see floaters after my cataract surgery
but only when outside
is my rib broken are nurses are greater risk for getting
staph infections
how common is a torn acl my 2 year old doesn't always respond when
we call his name is he autistic
@mordyoberstein

20. Where Did He Get Those From?
Keyword Research Tools
(like SEMrush) -
Personal experience
Health Forums
Top-Level Keywords Highly-Detailed Keywords
@mordyoberstein

21. Limitations
One vertical only
500 Keywords is not 5K keywords
A lot of judgement calls

22. @mordyoberstein
It’s Data Time!

23. Super
Authorities
.Edu & .Gov National Medical
Organizations
& Journals
News Publications
& Magazines
Topic
Specific Site
General
Health Site
1
2
3
0
@mordyoberstein
Average Number of Sites by Type
Short-Tail Health Queries

24. Um, What Am
I Looking At?
@mordyoberstein

25. @mordyoberstein
70%
Sites You Cannot
Compete With.

26. As Compared to
@mordyoberstein
Super
Authorities
.Edu & .Gov National Medical
Organizations
& Journals
News Publications
& Magazines
Topic
Specific Site
General
Health Site
1
2
3
0
Average Number of Sites by Type
Long-Tail Health Queries

27. Which Again Means?!

28. @mordyoberstein
30% Topic-Specific Sites
20% General Health Sites
50% of the SERP for you!
+
=

29. @mordyoberstein
So, You’re Saying…?

30. The Land of
Opportunity Is…

31. @mordyoberstein
Yes, but not so fast…

32. As with
ANYTHING
in SEO it…
@mordyoberstein

33. Lack of Sub-topical
Uniformity

34. Down The
Rabbit Hole
Once Again!
@mordyoberstein

35. This time…
100 ‘Top-Level’ Keywords All Related to Autism.
Examples
is autism aspergers
autism spectrum disorder
borderline autism
when do autistic babies walk
autism facts
@mordyoberstein

36. Super
Authorities
.Edu & .Gov National Medical
Organizations
& Journals
News Publications
& Magazines
Topic
Specific Site
General
Health Sire
1
2
3
0
General Health Queries Autism Health Queries
@mordyoberstein
Average Number of Sites by Type
General vs. Autism Queries (Short-Tail)

37. @mordyoberstein
The SERP for Autism
Keywords Is MORE
Advantageous for
the Average Site.
Overall ‘Top-Level’ Keyword Set ‘Top-Level’ Autism Keywords
70% of the SERP not competitive 55% of the SERP not competitive

38. Tell me why….
@mordyoberstein

39. Thy Cup
Overfloweth.
@mordyoberstein

40. @mordyoberstein
Deep Content
Diversity
=
Deeply Diverse
Search Results

41. Encyclopedias Don’t Work for
Non-Encyclopedic Content

42. It’s Too
Much!
@mordyoberstein

43. @mordyoberstein
Highly-Detailed Content
Gives you the Advantage

44. It’s About
Ecosystems
@mordyoberstein

45. @mordyoberstein
All Roads Point
to Specificity
Core Updates:
Strong trend preferring
authority
The SERP Layout:
Demand for increased
specificity

46. SERP Layout… Yeah… SERP Layout
@mordyoberstein

47. Right of ‘Passages’
@mordyoberstein

48. Back Down
to Earth?
@mordyoberstein

49. @mordyoberstein
What’s Happening Here?

50. @mordyoberstein
Relevancy
vs. Authority

51. @mordyoberstein
Google SAID SO
Themselves...
(It’s how they fight misinformation)

52. Google Themselves Says So…
@mordyoberstein

53. @mordyoberstein
Authority
vs. A Bit Less
Authority
+ Relevancy

54. @mordyoberstein
… Google
Sweats the
Details

55. Relevancy the Conqueror

56. @mordyoberstein
Just Tell Me
What I Want To
Know Kid!

57. @mordyoberstein
Thematic
Competitor Analysis

58. @mordyoberstein
It’s Not Who…

59. @mordyoberstein
… It’s
What Type!

60. Best Mortgage
@mordyoberstein

61. @mordyoberstein
Predisposed Topics/Terms

62. @mordyoberstein
It’s Also Not
Being TONE
Deaf...

63. @mordyoberstein
Less Formal Language/Keywords

64. @mordyoberstein
Understanding Your
‘Content Paradigm’

65. It’s
Orientation
@mordyoberstein

66. Is There
Excessive
Content
Diversity?
@mordyoberstein

67. @mordyoberstein
Your Paradigm
Might Be
Unique

68. Knowing It Might Change
Your SEO Course.

69. @mordyoberstein
Nothing Is Static.

70. That’s A Wrap