A basic SEO overview.

1. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION 101

2. Who’s presenting today?
 Writer, Editor, Search Engine Marketer
 330,000 unique visitors
 500,000 page views
LEE WEBER
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4. How search engines work
1. Search engines crawl the web via links
2. Search engines decipher and store the
code in massive hard drives
(datacenters)
3. When we enter a search query, engines
return results based on their unique
sorting systems (algorithm)
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5. Google’s Datacenters
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6. Search query results are
RELEVANT or useful to the searcher’s
query
RANKED in order of perceived usefulness,
popularity, or importance
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7. Search engine ranking position
 SERP… affects
 Traffic
 Exposure
 Sales
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8. Eye tracking heat maps
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9. Why ranking matters
Higher rankings in the first few results are
critical to visibility.
A #1 position in Google's search results
receives a majority of all click-through
traffic.
The #2 position receives 10-15% %, the
third 5-10%, the fourth less than 5%,
and all others are under 2%.
Highly ranked sites build trust.
Consumers view sites as worthy and
relatively important.
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11. What is SEO
Promoting a web site to increase the number of visitors the site receives from search engines.
1. ON SITE optimization (Relevant and useful)
2. OFF SITE optimization (Popularity)
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12. ON SITE optimization
1. Structure websites for engines and readers
2. Create engaging, relevant content
3. Know your keywords
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13. ON SITE optimization for engines
Content = indexed

Ensure crawable link structure/site architecture
 Submission required forms
 JavaScript, Frames, -frames. or links in Flash, Java, or plugins
 Blocked pages
 Pages with 100’s of links

Write important content in HTML text format

Cross-link content with keyword variations
Content = relevant

Use keywords prominently in titles, text, URL, and meta data

Use title tags that are an accurate, concise description of a page's content

Identify content using structured data (rich snippets)
Content = unique

Avoid duplicate content (which version to show to users?)
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14. ON SITE optimization for readers
Content = positive experience
 Provide direct, actionable information relevant
to the query
 Deliver high quality, legitimate, credible content
 Use articles, images, and multi-media
 User engagement metrics = Time on page,
number of comments, number of shares,
bounce rate, etc.
Site = usable
 Easy to use, navigate, and understand
 Professionally designed and accessible to
modern browsers
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15. ON SITE optimization for keywords
Keywords = direction
 Keyword research should be your #1
priority
 With keywords, you can produce the
products, services, and content that
web searchers are already actively
seeking
 Keyword research can predict shifts in
demand so you can respond to
changing market conditions
 Keyword analysis requires testing
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17. My personal recommendations
 Create 50 landing pages
that are keyword optimized
 Cross-link pages with varied
text
 Share across your social
networks
 Expand into video, graphics,
and audio
 My site has 1,200 landing
pages that are keyword
optimized
 They are cross-linked with
varied text
 I share across my social
network
 I am expanding my content
based
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20. OFF SITE optimization
 The “marketing” part
 Requires time, energy, and a budget
 Quality inbound links
 Trustworthy
 Global popularity
 Niche
 Anchor text
 Social sharing
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21. OFF SITE optimization
Link Building 101
 Natural links
 Are the result of quality content
 Outreach links
 Emails
 Directory listings
 Website award programs
 Self created
 Forum signatures
 Blog comments
 User profiles
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22. Global Market Share
 Google
 Yahoo
 Bing
…but mostly Google
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24. Questions?
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