I Wanna Be Found - Job Seeking and SEO (01/2012 Edition)

I Wanna Be Found Using SEO to Enhance Your Job Search

Goals for Tonight's Presentation
Provide insight into how to optimize online presence in social media
Make job search more productive
Outline how basic SEO strategies can enhance other job search activities
Facilitate contact, interviews, and hiring by potential employers

About Tonight's Session
Based on very basic knowledge of SEO
Platform agnostic
Results will occur in direct proportion to other job search activities
What This Presentation Won't Do

As A Professional
Over ten years’ experience in non-profit/social services
Lead organizer for Chicago Net Tuesday
Work in community organizing/development
Consult with small businesses
Background in social media strategy & engagement
As A Blogger/Writer
Over fifteen years’ experience content creation/online community management
Comics/pop culture blogger for six years
Writer/podcaster for Comic Related
Contributor to Baker Street Blog, Chicago Now’s Job Stalker
Background

Goal: Optimize presence in search to establish professional expertise and provide relevant background information to potential recruiters/employers

Professional Target Keywords Non-profit Community Engagement Development Fundraising OR “fund raising” Social Media Outreach Strategy Project OR Program Chicago OR 60629 Personal Interest Keywords Comics OR Graphic Novels Popular Culture Doctor Who Sherlock Holmes Television Ideal Keyword List Goal: Increase frequency & presence of career/professional keywords while maintaining personal interest keywords

Optimizing Content - Blogs
Created Non-Profit Social Media/Civic Engagement Blog
Meta Tags for current blogs/other related content
Modified overall content blogs to enhance SEO
Contributed unique content consistently into areas of related activity

Optimizing Social Media Professional keywords generated from past activities, job descriptions , and professional/personal interests
Inventory: Most Used Channels
Included Keywords in User Profile
User Name Reflects Own Name
Vanity URL: Facebook, G Plus

Modified resume to reflect keywords/professional duties when responding to job posting
Drafted “elevator speech”, branding statement, and other information to use in professional efforts
Tracked status of job applications/interviews/other activities via Excel spreadsheet to determine efficacy
Researched potential contacts & employers via search engines and Linked In on keyword combinations
Optimizing Resume & Applications Optimizing online content is not a substitute for regular job search activities

Some Notes About Linked In
Profile shows up in search results proportional to contacts & visits
Profiles with over 500 contacts rank higher in results
Linked In Skills provide “tags” based on skill set and professional interests

More Notes About Linked In
Profile provides framework for resume, not vice versa
Update Profile Status at least once a day
Two Optimization Resources
Brenda Bernstein – Essay Expert (Madison, WI)
Greig Weils, BeFound Jobs

Bringing it All Together – Communications Hub
Purchased gordondymowski.com as domain (Best way to build SEO)
Initially on Blogger, online “portfolio” now on Weebly (slightly better SEO integration, easier to modify)
Provides one-stop shop for content and professional portfolio
Social Media (including Friendfeed/About.Me)
Various online mentions (Netsquared)
Links to RSS & unique content (Comic Related, Baker Street Blog, Job Stalker)
Contains Professional/Personal Meta Tags

Keyword-Rich Intro Text with links to content Links to online content About.me Social Media Profile

Google Search Results – August 2010 Search for “Gordon Dymowski” on Google on 08/13/11
Top 23/30 Search Results for “Gordon Dymowski” focus on professional efforts and social media
Three – Comic & Pop Culture-related blogging/content
Two - Generic Profiles (e.g., MyLife.com)
Two – Pre-2000 Content (one in Top 10 results)
Communications Hub – Consistent Traffic
Boosts SEO through links

Results – Tag Cloud Generated using Google with Search Cloudlet Extension for Firefox on 08/13/11 Increased frequency of keywords related to professional efforts; potential to expand professional presence in search

Results – Personal Job Search (August)
Averaging 1 – 2 interviews/week
Increase in engagement with potential freelance opportunities (including local business development corp)
Increasing number of contacts via meetings & Linked In

Results – Linked In (August)
September 2010 – Averaged 2 – 3 profile views in a 15 day period
August 2011 – Averaging 5 – 7 profile views/week
Out of seven profile views in one week:
Two were by professional recruiters, which led to one working arrangement
Three were seeking contacts in field, and two professional relationships established
Two were “Anonymous Linked In User”

Interim: August 2011 – January 2012
Contracted to freelance for GSDC on project basis
Took on short-term (6 month) part time social media monitoring contract (just ended)
Non-profit blog on non-SEO friendly platform
Question: Will this system sustain results over time with diminished job search activity?

Google Search Results – 01/18/2012 Search for “Gordon Dymowski” on Google on 08/13/11
Top 20/30 Search Results for “Gordon Dymowski” focus on professional efforts and social media
Seven – Comic & Pop Culture-related blogging/content
Two - Generic Profiles (e.g., MyLife.com)
One – Pre-2000 Content

Google Tag Cloud – 1/18/2012 Generated using Google with Search Cloudlet Extension for Chrome

Results – Linked In/Interviews (Jan 2011)
January 2012 – LI Profile averaged 5 – 6 views over 15 day period
Number of LI connections grew by 10% over six months, growing to over 500 connections
Contacted by professional recruiters approximately ten times within six month period with opportunities
Two were positions that were outside expertise
Five were merely updates/inquiries of interest
Two resulted in face to face interviews

Upcoming Events/Activities
Chicago Net Tuesday (Tech/Social Good)
02/14 – Keidra Chaney
03/13 – Wendy Grieco/Analysis Exchange
RSVP – http://www.meetup.com/net2chi
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
02/28 – Discussion with Hugo-Award Winner Lynne Thomas of Chicks Dig Time Lords
RSVP – http://bit.ly/ChicksDigTL

Contact Information Gordon Dymowski [email_address] (773) 809-4473 http://linkd.in/gordondym www.gordondymowski.com

I Wanna Be Found - Job Seeking and SEO (01/2012 Edition)

by Gordon Dymowski

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I Wanna Be Found - Job Seeking and SEO (01/2012 Edition) Presentation Transcript