Search Engine Strategies Amsterdam 2009 SEO - back to basics Menno Flikkema, FirstFocus bv http://www.firstfocus.eu (dutch) http://en.firstfocus.eu (international)

Welcome! Menno Flikkema Search Engine Optimization Consultant (SEO) FirstFocus bv Since 2004 specialist in organic search for international clients (NL, IE, DE, CH, PL, BE) Clients mostly B2B but also travel, finance FirstFocus audits sites, develops search tools and OnTarget SEO CMS http://www.firstfocus.eu/OnTarget-SEO-CMS.html (dutch) http://en.firstfocus.eu/OnTarget-SEO-CMS.html (international)

Menno Flikkema

Search Engine Optimization Consultant (SEO)

FirstFocus bv

Since 2004 specialist in organic search for international clients (NL, IE, DE, CH, PL, BE)

Clients mostly B2B but also travel, finance

FirstFocus audits sites, develops search tools and OnTarget SEO CMS

http://www.firstfocus.eu/OnTarget-SEO-CMS.html (dutch)

http://en.firstfocus.eu/OnTarget-SEO-CMS.html (international)

Overview Part 1: Fact Based Marketing Changing world of search Quality traffic – what is your share? Make it measurable Use search to start a dialogue Part 2: SEO back to basics HotelVandaag.nl business case Technology and the value of a webpage Optimizing content The impact of your neighborhood

Part 1: Fact Based Marketing

Changing world of search

Quality traffic – what is your share?

Make it measurable

Use search to start a dialogue

Part 2: SEO back to basics

HotelVandaag.nl business case

Technology and the value of a webpage

Optimizing content

The impact of your neighborhood

New channels change nature of web 2001 : So I have to tell about this thing my cat did today 2004 : Pictures of my cat 2005 : Seems logical, movies of my cat 2007 : 01:12 My cat just sneezed 01:13 My cat sneezed again. 01:16 The cat hasn’t sneezed recently 01:16 Getting worried 2008: follow my cat 24/7 March 3 rd , 2009: In a survey by German broadband association Bitkom around 84 percent of respondents aged 19-29 said they would rather do without their current partner or an automobile than forego their connection to the Web. ( reuters ) 2009: Y ou did WHAT to that poor cat?

Changing world of search

This is how skittles does it

This is how Ryanair does it

I t all boils down to traffic 10-30% 20-30% 20-30% 40-60% CTR = Click Through Rate

T ry to make some educated guesses research suggests avg. 89/11% http://www.seomoz.org/blog/clickthrough-rates-in-the-serps-what-are-the-real-numbers CTR from First SERP page ~70% Second page and further ~30% Very different per keyword!

What is your average CTR? 20 % 18 % 15 % 13 % 22 % 10 % 5 % 3 % 2 % 25 % 0,3 % 15 %

Adwords gives insight in search volume Google “keyword tool external”

What is the potential of search marketing for you? Calculate the missed opportunity cost of not ranking for information, products and services that you offer x average conversion rate x x E.g.10000/day x 10% x 3% x €50 = €1.500/day Ex. CPM revenues (visitors x avg.pages/visitor) average transaction amount # of people searching for your keywords expected click-through rate

Calculate the missed opportunity cost of not ranking for information, products and services that you offer

E.g.10000/day x 10% x 3% x €50 = €1.500/day

Ex. CPM revenues (visitors x avg.pages/visitor)

Part 2 HotelVandaag.nl case

What is Hotelvandaag.? Hotel booking site with no booking fees Quality beyond hotels What else does a visitor need? Ratings and reviews Michelin, Gault Millau Restaurants Interaction, Social Media With hotels: comments, micro blog With users: Twitter, Flickr and Google Maps Create a community driven site and stimulate user generated content Use organic search to drive traffic

Hotel booking site with no booking fees

Quality beyond hotels

What else does a visitor need?

Ratings and reviews

Michelin, Gault Millau Restaurants

Interaction, Social Media

With hotels: comments, micro blog

With users: Twitter, Flickr and Google Maps

Create a community driven site and stimulate user generated content

Use organic search to drive traffic

The basics of SEO SEA Technology Content Authority Quick wins Time consuming but necessary Consistent content, patience, good neighborhoods €€€ Buy your way in, but not now SEO Time, effort

SEO: Technology Technology

code Make sure your site doesn’t end up like this Google “site:domain.com” SEOmoz crawl test

Standards based design Title and URL Alternative to JS Navigation Proper lists Headers

What’s ideal for robots? Search engines are programmed Performance Clean code that follows W3C standards A strong domain Name, trust Pretty URL’s, Unique titles, Meta description People need confirmation Obvious content area Clear navigation structure Most underestimated SEO factor

Search engines are programmed

Performance

Clean code that follows W3C standards

A strong domain

Name, trust

Pretty URL’s, Unique titles, Meta description

People need confirmation

Obvious content area

Clear navigation structure

Most underestimated SEO factor

Internal link structure

SEO: content Content This should be a continuous process

What is top of mind? I need a hotel reservation! Going out, weekend city trip Need hotel for business Luxury Need a hotel today Looking for reviews Want boutique hotel

Create new relevant content What else does a visitor to a city need other than a Hotel? Adding selected restaurants, culture and shopping seems to decrease relevance … but creates and enormous long tail of traffic for very specific searches This is added value for the potential customer who needs a hotel

What else does a visitor to a city need other than a Hotel?

Adding selected restaurants, culture and shopping seems to decrease relevance

… but creates and enormous long tail of traffic for very specific searches

This is added value for the potential customer who needs a hotel

The long tail works for Hotelvandaag.nl Nice hotel Romantic hotel Boutique hotel Restaurants 58000+ different queries

Check your focus Use online tools to check focus Each page has a content fingerprint Search “keyword cloud”

SEO: Authority This should be a continuous process Authority ..by looking at who’s linking to the competition

Yahoo! Search “linkdomain:domain.com –site:domain.com”

Migrate existing trusted domains Redirect page by page The fast track to links 30 000+ links “ Never buy links, buy sites!” Marcus Tandler, SES Hamburg 2008 Use the power of your old domains

Many new improvements on the way Content Focus of pages Improve bounce rates Booking flow GUI design A/B testing Conversion All pages have similar design Create themed designs Even more dialogue!

Content

Focus of pages

Improve bounce rates

Booking flow

GUI design A/B testing

Conversion

All pages have similar design

Create themed designs

Even more dialogue!

Improve conversion with search Make search central to fact based online marketing and improved conversion Search Optimization Analytics Reports

Conclusions I Changing times require new business models, be critical of your media mix Make search a process – measure, evaluate and improve SEO Basics Each page has a ‘fingerprint’ that makes it unique Each page has value that it can share Learn from your competitors Use SEO tools to your advantage If your technology is lacking – change it

Changing times require new business models, be critical of your media mix

Make search a process – measure, evaluate and improve

SEO Basics

Each page has a ‘fingerprint’ that makes it unique

Each page has value that it can share

Learn from your competitors

Use SEO tools to your advantage

If your technology is lacking – change it

Conclusions II Use existing sites to boost new content – old, forgotten sites may be very valuable Interact with users and use social media to gain unique content and links Maintain a dialogue -- Integrate channels, use search queries to improve presentation and conversion

Use existing sites to boost new content – old, forgotten sites may be very valuable

Interact with users and use social media to gain unique content and links

Maintain a dialogue -- Integrate channels, use search queries to improve presentation and conversion

Questions? Follow me! http://twitter.com/seomenno http://linkedin.com/in/mennoflikkema Menno Flikkema FirstFocus bv [email_address]

Follow me!

http://twitter.com/seomenno

http://linkedin.com/in/mennoflikkema

Menno Flikkema

FirstFocus bv

[email_address]