![Page 1: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
How to Not Go Viral and Grow by
500,000+ Monthly Visits
Ross Hudgens, Founder, Siege Media
@RossHudgens | siegemedia.com
![Page 2: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Stop me if you’ve heard
this one before...
![Page 3: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
SEO agency starts a
presentation on
content and links.
![Page 4: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
They show
you a fancy
interactive
you can’t
replicate.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 5: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Then they list a ton of publications
it got covered in.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 6: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Then they show
another fancy
$10,000+
interactive you
can’t replicate.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 7: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Then they list
a ton of
publications it
got covered
in.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 8: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Then you see
another one
of those
presentations.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 9: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
And another.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 10: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
And another.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 11: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
They’re cool.
But do they
work? What’s
the value of
the talk or for
the client?
@RossHudgens |
![Page 12: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Here’s the
problem.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 13: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Viral topics
aren’t on
brand.
aBrandvoice
Topics that can go viral
@RossHudgens |
![Page 14: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Giant link
spikes aren’t
natural
“brand”
activity.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 15: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Would you
want to wait
a full year for
the next link
spike?
@RossHudgens |
![Page 16: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
For many
reasons,
these linkbait
assets fail to
deliver
measurable
results.
@RossHudgens |
http://bit.ly/linkbait-failure
![Page 17: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Instead, let
me propose
something
novel.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 18: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Content that
generates
five links.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 19: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Content that
generates
seven links.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 20: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Content that
generates
nine links.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 21: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
And doing that
several times a
month,
over and
over again.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 22: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
With content that’s
on-brand.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 23: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
And delivers
something
more than
a link.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 24: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
And doing it for
less cost per link
than those other
companies would
charge for their
average “swing”
at virality.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 25: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
We’ve been in
business five
years, and we’ve
only had two
assets
go “viral.”
@RossHudgens |
![Page 26: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
But we’ve
helped ten
businesses grow
by 200k+
monthly search
visits, including
five by 500k+.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 27: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
And seven by
monthly traffic
value
increases of
$240,000
or more.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 28: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Here’s a
secret:
Virality is
overrated.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 29: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Virality and
large,
interactive
linkbait is shiny
and fun to talk
about.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 30: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
But sustained
quality content
and links, done
over and over
again... is what
drives
sustainable
business value.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 31: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
And you can
do it yourself!
For less. And
you can learn
from it without
breaking the
bank.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 32: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
They are
Barry Bonds.
Steroids and
out of the
league.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 33: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
You can be
Adrian Beltre:
.387 on base
percentage and
future Hall
of Famer.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 34: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
How can you consistently
create effective, linkable
content?
![Page 35: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Here’s our
playbook for
doing it.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 36: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
First, make
your business
invest in at
least one sunk
cost
differentiator.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 37: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
What are
examples of
sunk cost
differentiators?
@RossHudgens |
![Page 38: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
A
photographer
@RossHudgens |
![Page 39: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
A
videographer
@RossHudgens |
![Page 40: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
An animator
@RossHudgens |
![Page 41: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Best-in-class
website design
@RossHudgens |
![Page 42: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Industry-best
graphic
designers
@RossHudgens |
![Page 43: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
If you can’t
invest in any
of these,
stay home.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 44: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
First, find
top/middle funnel
search topics that
have 30 LRDs
each on average
and build those,
first.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 45: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
In B2B spaces,
make an effort
to build data
studies that
get cited.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 46: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
And even if you
do that, always
curate the go-to
“KEYWORD
statistics” post,
too.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 47: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
In B2C (or
B2B), build
the things
people
curate.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 48: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
Make sure
they tie back
to search and
drive real
business
value.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 49: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
Slot that content
in a folder,
ideally one word
that
deoptimizes/still
signifies what it’s
about.
@RossHudgens |
/blog/
or
/reviews/best-air-conditioner/
![Page 50: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/50.jpg)
Then, make your
content exactly
the highest
volume version
of the keyword,
unless the folder
repeats it.
@RossHudgens |
/ideas/home-decor/
![Page 51: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
Do some
targeted
outreach. Use
the following
template
framework:
@RossHudgens |
Subject: ASSET TYPE for WEBSITE: POST
TITLE
Hey name,
Custom sentence about what about their site
made us reach out, without being fake. Second
sentence on what our content is about.
You can see it here: http://www.website.com/url
If you like the post, we’d appreciate if you
considered sharing it with WEBSITE readers.
Thanks and looking forward to hearing what
you think!
![Page 52: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/52.jpg)
Maybe
generate
10 links.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 53: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/53.jpg)
Use that content
promotion to
generate
bottom-funnel
value through
follow-ups.
@RossHudgens |
http://bit.ly/link-followups
![Page 54: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
And then,
watch that
asset (and its
bottom funnel
connectors)
rank.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 55: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/55.jpg)
Rinse and
repeat...
forever.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 56: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/56.jpg)
You’ll soon
build a
marketing
flywheel.
@RossHudgens |
content
links
promotiongenerate
rankings
![Page 57: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/57.jpg)
Your link
velocity will
naturally
increase
without more
cold
outreach.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 58: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/58.jpg)
Virality, as it
turns out,
rarely
generates a
flywheel
effect.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 59: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
You should
still apply the
“leans” of
virality in
your content
ideas.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 60: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/60.jpg)
Validate
concepts with
1. average links to
those concepts
2. search volume
3. social proof in
terms of sharing on
social networks.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 61: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/61.jpg)
Ideally, the
intersection of
these three means
you are building
things that have
search demand,
but also link
opportunity, too.
@RossHudgens |
Links Searchvolume
Social proof
![Page 62: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/62.jpg)
For bonus points,
always include
the outreach
market/shareable
format you will
include when
ideating for max
linkablility.
@RossHudgens |
DIY Flower Crown for Parties and Weddings
(SV 2,400) How to Make a Flower Crown - 2x
Custom photography/video how-to. This has 53
LRD’s. Confident we could rank for this query. We
could include a shareable featuring different styles
of flower crowns similar to the flower chandelier
infographic to make the piece more shareable and
capture the winter wedding market for outreach.
• Outreach Market: lifestyle, wedding
• Format: photography how-to
![Page 63: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/63.jpg)
Going to bat
with these five
levers, one or
more
sunk cost
differentiators,
and a work
ethic to do it for
years…@RossHudgens |
![Page 64: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/64.jpg)
…means
you will
win, even
without
going viral.
@RossHudgens |
![Page 65: How to Not Go Viral and Grow by 500,000+ Monthly Visits #StateOfSearch](https://reader033.vdocument.in/reader033/viewer/2022052116/5a6720fe7f8b9a117b8b46c3/html5/thumbnails/65.jpg)
Here’s to
eight links.
@RossHudgens |