Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Taking Your Optimization To The Next Level Presented by Leslie Carruthers President of The Search Guru February 24, 2009

Cover the basics first before moving on to advanced techniques. Advanced techniques only work if the basics are covered.

Optimization can be more than keyphrase research, links from other websites and content. Aspects include: Technical Internal Linking Web 2.0 Local Search

Technical

Internal Linking

Web 2.0

Local Search

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Technical How a site is built can affect your optimization.

How a site is built can affect your optimization.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Technical Canonical redirection Definition: Canonical [k uh - non -i-k uh l] - a standard way of presenting that object http://www.example.com = http://example.com Search engines view this as two different URLs. Improper canonicalization results in possible search engine confusion and inadvertently duplicating your entire site. Related forms of canonical issues can come from improper handling of secure pages (https vs. http) and subdomains ( sub.example.com vs. www.example.com )

Canonical redirection Definition: Canonical [k uh - non -i-k uh l] - a standard way of presenting that object http://www.example.com = http://example.com Search engines view this as two different URLs. Improper canonicalization results in possible search engine confusion and inadvertently duplicating your entire site. Related forms of canonical issues can come from improper handling of secure pages (https vs. http) and subdomains ( sub.example.com vs. www.example.com )

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Technical Canonical tags Insert this tag in the head of pages to indicate what you believe the URL for the page should appear as. This will help prevent mis-indexing. <link rel=&quot;canonical&quot; href=&quot;http://www.example.com/product.php?item=widget&quot;/>

Canonical tags Insert this tag in the head of pages to indicate what you believe the URL for the page should appear as. This will help prevent mis-indexing. <link rel=&quot;canonical&quot; href=&quot;http://www.example.com/product.php?item=widget&quot;/>

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Technical XML sitemaps Should be a basic, but people still are not using them. Don’t have one? Get one. Add the proper command line to your robots.txt ( sitemap: http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml ) and submit to Google and Yahoo.

XML sitemaps Should be a basic, but people still are not using them. Don’t have one? Get one. Add the proper command line to your robots.txt ( sitemap: http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml ) and submit to Google and Yahoo.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Technical Spider management Robots.txt – Does not keep a search engine from indexing a site, it only keeps a search engine from indexing the content. URLs can and do rank based on folder & file names as well as incoming anchor links and anchor text. Robots META – Prevents both URL and content from being indexed. Using regular expressions with robots.txt – Block content indexing of precise areas of your site to help with reducing duplicate content.

Spider management Robots.txt – Does not keep a search engine from indexing a site, it only keeps a search engine from indexing the content. URLs can and do rank based on folder & file names as well as incoming anchor links and anchor text. Robots META – Prevents both URL and content from being indexed. Using regular expressions with robots.txt – Block content indexing of precise areas of your site to help with reducing duplicate content.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Internal Linking It is not just about external links - the search engines look at all linking.

It is not just about external links - the search engines look at all linking.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Internal Linking PageRank sculpting Internal links are votes. Which pages are you voting for? The more internal links a page has, the more important you are indicating a page is. So, really, how important is your privacy page in your SEO strategy? Linking to non search engine important pages drains small amounts of PageRank power from important pages. Nofollow non search engine important links. Privacy policy About us Terms of service Shopping carts Etc.

PageRank sculpting Internal links are votes. Which pages are you voting for? The more internal links a page has, the more important you are indicating a page is. So, really, how important is your privacy page in your SEO strategy? Linking to non search engine important pages drains small amounts of PageRank power from important pages. Nofollow non search engine important links.

Privacy policy

About us

Terms of service

Shopping carts

Etc.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Internal Linking Navigational keyphrases Internal anchor text influences ranking. Are you trying to rank for the word “Home” in the search engines? Use descriptive, keyphrase-rich anchor text on your own site.

Navigational keyphrases Internal anchor text influences ranking. Are you trying to rank for the word “Home” in the search engines? Use descriptive, keyphrase-rich anchor text on your own site.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Web 2.0 The new search engines

The new search engines

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Web 2.0 In August 2008, YouTube received more traffic than Yahoo. (ComScore) In December 2008, 3 of the top 10 websites were social (Web 2.0) websites. Google and Yahoo now incorporate “other” media, such as video, news and products for sale, into the normal search results.

In August 2008, YouTube received more traffic than Yahoo. (ComScore)

In December 2008, 3 of the top 10 websites were social (Web 2.0) websites.

Google and Yahoo now incorporate “other” media, such as video, news and products for sale, into the normal search results.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Web 2.0 Create videos about your products, services and people. Educate your employees about how to communicate on social networks in a way that benefits your company. Create content that will engage and delight a visitor to encourage them to pass it along.

Create videos about your products, services and people.

Educate your employees about how to communicate on social networks in a way that benefits your company.

Create content that will engage and delight a visitor to encourage them to pass it along.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Reaching out to the customer next door

Reaching out to the customer next door

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search There is a difference between optimizing for local search and organic search for local terms.

There is a difference between optimizing for local search and organic search for local terms.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search What is local search? Local search occurs on sites that are geared towards a searcher searching for a service or business in a specific geographic location. Google Local Yahoo! Local Yellow Pages Typically a listing is submitted – that listing then links to your site.

What is local search? Local search occurs on sites that are geared towards a searcher searching for a service or business in a specific geographic location.

Google Local

Yahoo! Local

Yellow Pages

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Your local listing needs to be optimized. Make sure to include: Your business name with keyphrases Your business description containing important keyphrases pertaining to your services Your correct address Your correct phone number

Your local listing needs to be optimized. Make sure to include:

Your business name with keyphrases

Your business description containing important keyphrases pertaining to your services

Your correct address

Your correct phone number

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Encourage customers to leave reviews for you on these services.

Encourage customers to leave reviews for you on these services.

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Organic search for local terms Organic search for local terms means appearing in the normal search engines when someone searches for a product, business or service coupled with a geo related term. Chicago widgets 45103 widgets State St widgets

Organic search for local terms Organic search for local terms means appearing in the normal search engines when someone searches for a product, business or service coupled with a geo related term.

Chicago widgets

45103 widgets

State St widgets

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Every page of your site should have: Address (with zip) Phone number (with area code) Nearest major metropolitan area

Every page of your site should have:

Address (with zip)

Phone number (with area code)

Nearest major metropolitan area

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search Have a directions page on your site that provides directions from all major metropolitan areas around you using local language. Next to Kmart in the Cross Plaza Across from Sherwood Mall Near the intersection of Main Street and Park Avenue

Have a directions page on your site that provides directions from all major metropolitan areas around you using local language.

Next to Kmart in the Cross Plaza

Across from Sherwood Mall

Near the intersection of Main Street and Park Avenue

Advanced Search Optimization Tactics: Local Search A page on your site should include both areas you serve and the services you provide.

A page on your site should include both areas you serve and the services you provide.

Questionable tactics When advanced is not

When advanced is not

Questionable tactics CSS hidden content Any time you create something on your site that is solely for search engine consumption, you are putting your site at risk.

CSS hidden content Any time you create something on your site that is solely for search engine consumption, you are putting your site at risk.

Questionable tactics CSS hidden content Suitable alternatives: CSS tabs Better design

CSS hidden content

Suitable alternatives:

CSS tabs

Better design

Questionable tactics Paid links Google penalized its own site in Japan for buying links. What makes you think they won’t penalize you?

Paid links Google penalized its own site in Japan for buying links. What makes you think they won’t penalize you?

Questionable tactics Paid links Suitable alternatives: Guest writing Good old fashioned link requests Link bait

Paid links

Suitable alternatives:

Guest writing

Good old fashioned link requests

Link bait

Questionable tactics Comment spamming Unless you have something to add to a conversation on Web 2.0 media, don’t leave comments just to get your URL on a page. Not only does it make you look bad because it is rude, many times it is ineffective for link building as nofollow is added to comment links.

Comment spamming Unless you have something to add to a conversation on Web 2.0 media, don’t leave comments just to get your URL on a page. Not only does it make you look bad because it is rude, many times it is ineffective for link building as nofollow is added to comment links.

Questionable tactics Comment spamming Suitable alternatives: Actually involve yourself in the conversation – not only will this give you legitimate reasons to insert your brand and links, but it will also help you develop a positive relationship with your customers and potential customers.

Comment spamming

Suitable alternatives:

Actually involve yourself in the conversation – not only will this give you legitimate reasons to insert your brand and links, but it will also help you develop a positive relationship with your customers and potential customers.

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