Intro to Search Engine Optimization Cindy McMahen, Principal search marketing PROS

Search Engine Facts 128 million Americans go online 84% use a search engine to find information. 72% get news online - Source: Nielson/Netratings, June 2004 © 2005 search marketing PROS

128 million Americans go online

84% use a search engine to find information.

72% get news online

- Source: Nielson/Netratings, June 2004

Public Relations Facts 98% of journalists go online daily 92% research for articles 81% do searching 76% go to find new sources or experts 73% look for press releases - Sources: Pew Internet & American Life Project, Middleberg/Ross Study © 2005 search marketing PROS

98% of journalists go online daily

92% research for articles

81% do searching

76% go to find new sources or experts

73% look for press releases

- Sources: Pew Internet & American Life Project, Middleberg/Ross Study

© 2005 search marketing PROS Why Search Engine Marketing? People are looking for your products and information. (85% of all traffic on the internet is referred from a search engine). Qualified Leads = Better Conversion Rate More (relevant) traffic + Good Conversion Rate = More Sales/Leads Move ahead of the competition. Many websites aren’t even listed, most are poorly optimized and get very little traffic from the search engines Cost effective marketing with clear and measurable ROI. People are impatient. (90% of all users don’t look past the first 30 results, and most only view top 10)

People are looking for your products and information. (85% of all traffic on the internet is referred from a search engine).

Qualified Leads = Better Conversion Rate

More (relevant) traffic + Good Conversion Rate = More Sales/Leads

Move ahead of the competition. Many websites aren’t even listed, most are poorly optimized and get very little traffic from the search engines

Cost effective marketing with clear and measurable ROI.

People are impatient. (90% of all users don’t look past the first 30 results, and most only view top 10)

Top Search Engines / Directories? © 2005 search marketing PROS

How Do Search Engines Work? Spider “crawls” the web to find new documents (web pages, other documents) typically by following hyperlinks from websites already in the database. Search engine indexes the content (text, code) in these documents by adding it to their huge databases and periodically updates this content. Search engine searches its own database when user enters in a search to find related documents (not searching web pages in real-time). Search engine ranks resulting documents using an algorithm (mathematical formula) that assigns various weights to various ranking factors. Some engines, like Google, can rely on as many as 100 factors. © 2005 search marketing PROS

Spider “crawls” the web to find new documents (web pages, other documents) typically by following hyperlinks from websites already in the database.

Search engine indexes the content (text, code) in these documents by adding it to their huge databases and periodically updates this content.

Search engine searches its own database when user enters in a search to find related documents (not searching web pages in real-time).

Search engine ranks resulting documents using an algorithm (mathematical formula) that assigns various weights to various ranking factors. Some engines, like Google, can rely on as many as 100 factors.

What does Optimization mean? A process by which a site appears high in the “natural” or “organic” search results. © 2005 search marketing PROS

A process by which a site appears high in the “natural” or “organic” search results.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Refers to the process of “optimizing” (both the on-page and off-page ranking factors) in order to achieve high search engine rankings for targeted search terms. Refers to the “industry” (or company) that works towards obtaining high rankings in the search engines for desirable keyword search terms. Usually refers to an individual/firm that focuses on optimizing for “natural” or “organic” search engine rankings. © 2005 search marketing PROS

Refers to the process of “optimizing” (both the on-page and off-page ranking factors) in order to achieve high search engine rankings for targeted search terms.

Refers to the “industry” (or company) that works towards obtaining high rankings in the search engines for desirable keyword search terms.

Usually refers to an individual/firm that focuses on optimizing for “natural” or “organic” search engine rankings.