Search Engine Optimization How to make your Website more visible Presented by Peter Bowen Account Manager, Conscious Solutions 1 September 2009

How many of you already have a website? Does it provide you with sales leads and/or sales? Would you like your website to be doing a better job of selling? SEO - Introduction

Today you will learn how to get your business services in front of new customers. SEO - Introduction

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of getting your website pages listed in the search engines. SEO - Introduction

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of marketing your website using Search Engines, Blogs, Social Media, Twitter, Face Book, LinkedIn, etc. SEO - Introduction

Today we are going to talk about SEO because without an SEO strategy there is no point in performing any Search Engine Marketing SEO - Introduction

The SEO Process SEO aims to get your service pages to the top of a search result for the search term that the user is looking for. SEO - Introduction

SEO aims to get your service pages to the top of a search result for the search term that the user is looking for.

The SEO Process Knowing what searchers are looking for is the key to getting pages listed that will deliver clients and leads. SEO - Introduction

Knowing what searchers are looking for is the key to getting pages listed that will deliver clients and leads.

The SEO Process Understanding the methodical step by step SEO process is key to achieving a high level page ranking. If your website is not listed on page one you are probably being overlooked by potential customers. SEO - Introduction

Understanding the methodical step by step SEO process is key to achieving a high level page ranking.

If your website is not listed on page one you are probably being overlooked by potential customers.

Search Engines We live in a Google World therefore we have to play by their rules if we are to achieve any level of success. SEO - Introduction

We live in a Google World therefore we have to play by their rules if we are to achieve any level of success.

Search Engine Market Share Data as of July 2009 source www.marketshare.hitslink.com SEO - Introduction

Data as of July 2009 source www.marketshare.hitslink.com

The SEO Process Step 1: Business Assessment - review overall objectives Step 2: Keyword Strategy* - identify keywords - keyword research Step 3: Optimize Pages for Keywords Step 4: Website Optimization Step 5: Link Building Step 6: Measure and Refine Step 7: Repeat Step 2 to 6 * Step 2 is the biggest part of the whole process

Step 1: Business Assessment - review overall objectives

Step 2: Keyword Strategy* - identify keywords - keyword research

Step 3: Optimize Pages for Keywords

Step 4: Website Optimization

Step 5: Link Building

Step 6: Measure and Refine

Step 7: Repeat Step 2 to 6

* Step 2 is the biggest part of the whole process

Step 1 Business Assessment Key Business Issues Establish Business Goals Identify Key Players Examine Current Metrics Conduct Site Review Keyword Brainstorming Step 1 – Business Assessment

Key Business Issues

Establish Business Goals

Identify Key Players

Examine Current Metrics

Conduct Site Review

Keyword Brainstorming

Business Assessment It is important to review the current situation of your website by reviewing stats and data about how visitors find you and how well your website is performing. Step 1 – Business Assessment

It is important to review the current situation of your website by reviewing stats and data about how visitors find you and how well your website is performing.

Business Assessment A key tool for measuring this is to use Google Analytics, this tool measures traffic from all sources not just Google and is a vital part of the assessment process. Step 1 – Business Assessment

A key tool for measuring this is to use Google Analytics, this tool measures traffic from all sources not just Google and is a vital part of the assessment process.

Business Assessment If you do not have this level of data to analyze and review then it becomes harder to make the right decisions in the beginning. There is way more to analyzing and drilling down into this data than just looking at how many ‘hits’ does the website get. Step 1 – Business Assessment

If you do not have this level of data to analyze and review then it becomes harder to make the right decisions in the beginning.

There is way more to analyzing and drilling down into this data than just looking at how many ‘hits’ does the website get.

Business Assessment Step 1 – Business Assessment

Business Assessment As you continue on with SEO you will need to review and assess the effectiveness of any changes that have been done to the website, you will come to rely on the Google Analytics tool as a very valuable resource in understanding what is happening to your website and the behaviour of your visitors. You will want to know which keywords outperform others and which deliver the right customer. Step 1 – Business Assessment

As you continue on with SEO you will need to review and assess the effectiveness of any changes that have been done to the website, you will come to rely on the Google Analytics tool as a very valuable resource in understanding what is happening to your website and the behaviour of your visitors.

You will want to know which keywords outperform others and which deliver the right customer.

Step 2 Keyword Strategy Perform searches for the keyword Use the Google Keyword Tool Assess Performance and Relevance Perform Keyword Research using PPC* Test Keywords Measure Keyword Performance * optional but ensures what terms people actually search on Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Perform searches for the keyword

Use the Google Keyword Tool

Assess Performance and Relevance

Perform Keyword Research using PPC*

Test Keywords

Measure Keyword Performance * optional but ensures what terms people actually search on

Google Keyword Tool Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Keyword Strategy Using the Google Keyword Tool to determine which phrase produces the most searches is a good starting point in understanding which keyword to target – however if you decide that based on this research the best keyword is ‘accounting’ because it has the highest volume of searches it is probably too broad of a term to use, Plus it is very competitive, and may not be relevant to you. Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Using the Google Keyword Tool to determine which phrase produces the most searches is a good starting point in understanding which keyword to target – however if you decide that based on this research the best keyword is ‘accounting’ because it has the highest volume of searches it is probably too broad of a term to use, Plus it is very competitive, and may not be relevant to you.

Keyword Strategy Performing a search for the term ‘accounting’ may not produce the desired results… Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Performing a search for the term ‘accounting’ may not produce the desired results…

Keyword Strategy A better choice might be ‘accountants’, but again performing a search for that term may or may not produce the desired results: Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

A better choice might be ‘accountants’, but again performing a search for that term may or may not produce the desired results:

Keyword Strategy Therefore in the search for the right keyword we have seen what happens when the search term is too broad or does not deliver to us the result we were looking. Google is trying to deliver what the visitor searched on and only provides results based on that search criteria. Now if we were looking for an Accountant in Toronto we would narrow the search by using a term like ‘accountant in toronto’. Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Therefore in the search for the right keyword we have seen what happens when the search term is too broad or does not deliver to us the result we were looking. Google is trying to deliver what the visitor searched on and only provides results based on that search criteria. Now if we were looking for an Accountant in Toronto we would narrow the search by using a term like ‘accountant in toronto’.

Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Keyword Strategy OK – so by now you should have some better understanding of how important it is to discover the right keyword or keyword phrase to use for your business, and the right keyword to use to attract the type of customer that you want. Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

OK – so by now you should have some better understanding of how important it is to discover the right keyword or keyword phrase to use for your business, and the right keyword to use to attract the type of customer that you want.

Keyword Strategy Therefore to recap, it is very important to identify the right keywords, it makes no sense at all to get good results for keywords that either no one ever searches on or that don’t deliver the right customer type to your business. Step 2 – Keyword Strategy

Therefore to recap, it is very important to identify the right keywords, it makes no sense at all to get good results for keywords that either no one ever searches on or that don’t deliver the right customer type to your business.

Step 3 Page Optimization Identify Primary Keywords Build Pages with Keyword in the following: - Page Title (Meta Title) - Main Heading (H1) - Keyword listed in page content words at least once in first 50 words on page or twice in first 100 words (2%) Ensure that you can navigate to the new page Ensure that the content talks about the keyword and is relevant Measure before and after Step 3 – Page Optimisation

Identify Primary Keywords

Build Pages with Keyword in the following: - Page Title (Meta Title) - Main Heading (H1) - Keyword listed in page content words at least once in first 50 words on page or twice in first 100 words (2%)

Ensure that you can navigate to the new page

Ensure that the content talks about the keyword and is relevant

Measure before and after

Step 3 – Page Optimization

Meta Content Meta Content is the code that is behind every web page and this is what a search engine sees when looking at your website page: Step 3 – Page Optimization

Meta Content is the code that is behind every

web page and this is what a search engine sees

when looking at your website page:

Meta Content Meta Content is very important as this is what a search engine uses to index your content and display the result when someone does a search. Therefore it is important that the keyword is in the right places as follows: <Title>Your Keyword(s)</Title> <Meta Content>This is the description of your page and includes Your Keyword</Content> <Meta Keywords>This is a list of your keyword and other keywords</Keywords>* * Google does not read this but it helps you define the primary keywords for the page. Step 3 – Page Optimization

Meta Content is very important as this is what a

search engine uses to index your content and

display the result when someone does a search.

Therefore it is important that the keyword is in

the right places as follows:

<Title>Your Keyword(s)</Title>

<Meta Content>This is the description of your page and includes Your Keyword</Content>

<Meta Keywords>This is a list of your keyword and other keywords</Keywords>*

* Google does not read this but it helps you define the primary keywords for the page.

The Search Result Search for Your Keyword (solicitors in milton keynes) in Google and this is a typical result: Step 3 – Page Optimization

Search for Your Keyword (solicitors in milton

keynes) in Google and this is a typical result:

Step 4 Website Optimization Map Keywords to Content Site Structure and Organization Modify Page Templates SEO Copywriting and Rewrites Optimize Internal Links Set Up Tracking System Step 4 - Website Optimization

Map Keywords to Content

Site Structure and Organization

Modify Page Templates

SEO Copywriting and Rewrites

Optimize Internal Links

Set Up Tracking System

Website Optimization This is the process of making sure that for any additional pages that you have optimized pages for that they can be found by navigating to them. Google penalizes sites that create pages that cannot be found by navigation. Step 4 - Website Optimization

This is the process of making sure that for any additional pages that you have optimized pages for that they can be found by navigating to them.

Google penalizes sites that create pages that cannot be found by navigation.

Website Optimization A good navigation system of Menus and Sub Menus allows Keywords to be mapped to content. You might consider adding a site map as an additional page of content that links specific keywords to optimised pages. Step 4 - Website Optimization

A good navigation system of Menus and Sub Menus allows Keywords to be mapped to content.

You might consider adding a site map as an additional page of content that links specific keywords to optimised pages.

Site Map Step 4 - Website Optimization

Step 5 Link Building Keyword Strategy Review Directory Submissions Press Releases Link Partnerships Link-Based Advertising Affiliate Program Step 5 – Link Building

Keyword Strategy Review

Directory Submissions

Press Releases

Link Partnerships

Link-Based Advertising

Affiliate Program

Link Building Link popularity is considered to be the single most significant factor that is going to determine where you actually rank on the search engines. Step 5 – Link Building

Link popularity is considered to be the single most significant factor that is going to determine where you actually rank on the search engines.

Link Building Link Popularity can be defined as “the measure of the number of quality external links pointing to a particular website”. Step 5 – Link Building

Link Popularity can be defined as “the measure of the number of quality external links pointing to a particular website”.

Link Building Therefore, for a website to be ranked on page one for a competitive keyword that website must appear to be ‘popular’ and one of the determining factors is the number of inbound links that point to that website from other websites and directories. Step 5 – Link Building

Therefore, for a website to be ranked on page one for a competitive keyword that website must appear to be ‘popular’ and one of the determining factors is the number of inbound links that point to that website from other websites and directories.

Link Building Google considers that websites with more inbound links are more important than a website with less inbound links and will therefore tend to list that website higher up on a search result page. Step 5 – Link Building

Google considers that websites with more inbound links are more important than a website with less inbound links and will therefore tend to list that website higher up on a search result page.

Link Building Step 5 – Link Building

Link Building To determine how many inbound links any website has go to www.yahoo.com and search for link:www.website.com Note: This is not totally accurate but gives an indication of the number Step 5 – Link Building

To determine how many inbound links any website has go to www.yahoo.com and search for link:www.website.com

Note: This is not totally accurate but gives an indication of the number

Link Building Step 5 – Link Building

Link Building Step 5 – Link Building

Step 6 Measure and Refine Start measuring from Day 1 (You must have a before snapshot so that you will know if what you are doing is improving the situation) Review Monthly Assess and fine tune after 4 to 6 months (Google says that the longer you wait to measure results the better the analysis will be) Identify Key Search Terms Identify Performance Gaps Measure Visitor Behaviour Refine the Strategy Go back to Step 2 and repeat!!! Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Start measuring from Day 1 (You must have a before snapshot so that you will know if what you are doing is improving the situation)

Review Monthly

Assess and fine tune after 4 to 6 months (Google says that the longer you wait to measure results the better the analysis will be)

Identify Key Search Terms

Identify Performance Gaps

Measure Visitor Behaviour

Refine the Strategy

Go back to Step 2 and repeat!!!

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Measure and Refine Step 6 – Measure and Refine

Step 7 Repeat Step 2 to 6 Go back to Step 2 and repeat!!! Step 7 – Repeat Step 2 to 6

Go back to Step 2 and repeat!!!

Search Engine Optimization Now that your Website is more visible you will want to keep fine tuning the SEO process . . . Thank you Presented by Peter Bowen Account Manager, Conscious Solutions 1 September 2009