360  Digital Influence SEO in the Web 2.0 Era November 10, 2008

Agenda SEO vs. SEM Keyword Research On-page Optimization Off-page Optimization Personalized Search & Google’s SearchWiki Workshop

SEO vs. SEM

Keyword Research

On-page Optimization

Off-page Optimization

Personalized Search & Google’s SearchWiki

Workshop

SEO vs. SEM

SEO vs SEM If you know the difference you’re already a step a head of the game.

If you know the difference you’re already a step a head of the game.

SEO vs. SEM

SEO vs SEM: Ranking Factors SEO: Google’s organic rankings factor in an estimated 200+ components when determining search rankings ( http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors ) SEM: Cost per click and “Quality Score” ( http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=10215 )

SEO: Google’s organic rankings factor in an estimated 200+ components when determining search rankings ( http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors )

SEM: Cost per click and “Quality Score” ( http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=10215 )

Keyword Research

Keyword Research: Search Behavior Understand How Your Audience is Searching 55% of all searches are done using 3 or more words

Understand How Your Audience is Searching

55% of all searches are done using 3 or more words

Keyword Research: Head of Tail vs. Long Tail Strategy https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Keyword Research: Head of Tail vs. Long Tail Strategy Long tail keywords lead to more conversions Long tail phrases build the foundation for targeting highly competitive phrases Interest - "car insurance" Research - "sports car insurance“ Research - "california car insurance“ Research - "best car insurance company“ Purchase - "car insurance instant online quote"

Long tail keywords lead to more conversions

Long tail phrases build the foundation for targeting highly competitive phrases

Interest - "car insurance"

Research - "sports car insurance“

Research - "california car insurance“

Research - "best car insurance company“

Purchase - "car insurance instant online quote"

Keyword Research: Measuring Success Your strategy should be about conversions & engagement NOT rankings. Define goals and assess which keywords are leading to traffic that achieves those goals. Goals: sale, lead capture, RSS subscription, social bookmark, whitepaper download etc…

Your strategy should be about conversions & engagement NOT rankings.

Define goals and assess which keywords are leading to traffic that achieves those goals.

Goals: sale, lead capture, RSS subscription, social bookmark, whitepaper download etc…

On-page Optimization

On-page Optimization: The Title Tag

On-page Optimization: Why Search Engines Loves Blogs Search engine spiders love fresh content and the more frequently you update your content the more frequently spiders crawl your site.

Search engine spiders love fresh content and the more frequently you update your content the more frequently spiders crawl your site.

On-page Optimization: Choosing the Right Domain Branding vs. Keyword Rich Given enough time and effort, any site can rank for any keyword with any domain name. Having core keywords in your domain can, however, help you rank faster initially. Ideally, you want to accomplish both branding & keyword use in your domain. Often the domain you want is taken, but it may be worth the price to buy.

Branding vs. Keyword Rich

Given enough time and effort, any site can rank for any keyword with any domain name.

Having core keywords in your domain can, however, help you rank faster initially.

Ideally, you want to accomplish both branding & keyword use in your domain.

Often the domain you want is taken, but it may be worth the price to buy.

On-page Optimization: The All Powerful 301 Redirect

On-page Optimization: Google Webmaster Tools See What Google Sees: www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

See What Google Sees:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

Off-page Optimization

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links PageRank was developed at Stanford University by Larry Page (hence the name Page-Rank) and later Sergey Brin as part of a research project about a new kind of search engine. The project started in 1995 and led to a functional prototype, named Google, in 1998. Shortly after, Page and Brin founded Google Inc. While just one of many factors which determine the ranking of Google search results, PageRank is a significant factor in determining a site’s organic search ranking. Google’s Description of PageRank: PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important".

PageRank was developed at Stanford University by Larry Page (hence the name Page-Rank) and later Sergey Brin as part of a research project about a new kind of search engine. The project started in 1995 and led to a functional prototype, named Google, in 1998. Shortly after, Page and Brin founded Google Inc. While just one of many factors which determine the ranking of Google search results, PageRank is a significant factor in determining a site’s organic search ranking.

Google’s Description of PageRank:

PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important".

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links Google Toolbar PageRank Real PageRank is always changing, but “toolbar PageRank” only updates about once every 3 months. http://toolbar.google.com Settings  Options  More

Google Toolbar PageRank

Real PageRank is always changing, but “toolbar PageRank” only updates about once every 3 months.

http://toolbar.google.com

Settings  Options  More

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links How to find quality inbound links? Competitive Research: Who is linking to the sites that are ranking for your target keywords? link:www.npr.org link:www.worldpeace.org Which of your properties can you leverage? teen resources site:www.pbs.org conflict resolution site:www.seedsofpeace.org Strategic searching useful sites library site:.edu helpful links library site:.edu

How to find quality inbound links?

Competitive Research: Who is linking to the sites that are ranking for your target keywords?

link:www.npr.org

link:www.worldpeace.org

Which of your properties can you leverage?

teen resources site:www.pbs.org

conflict resolution site:www.seedsofpeace.org

Strategic searching

useful sites library site:.edu

helpful links library site:.edu

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links rel =“nofollow” Explained nofollow is an HTML attribute value used to instruct some search engines that a hyperlink should not influence the link target's ranking in the search engine's index. It is intended to reduce the effectiveness of certain types of search engine spam, thereby improving the quality of search engine results.

rel =“nofollow” Explained

nofollow is an HTML attribute value used to instruct some search engines that a hyperlink should not influence the link target's ranking in the search engine's index.

It is intended to reduce the effectiveness of certain types of search engine spam, thereby improving the quality of search engine results.

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links “ Show your commenters that you appreciate them. Spread the link love.” ( http://randaclay.com/blogging/the-i-follow-movement/ )

“ Show your commenters that you appreciate them. Spread the link love.” ( http://randaclay.com/blogging/the-i-follow-movement/ )

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links Twitter uses “nofollow” in profile link: “ My personal twitter page has 1700 links, 1500+ followers, contains over 7000 tweets and is a toolbar PR of 5. Last I checked, I got all those links. I wrote all that content. All those people were following me as a person. I developed that link popularity. Why on earth would I not deserve ALL the benefits (including that in the form of a profile link) from building up the value of that page?” http://www.sugarrae.com/twitter-lays-down-for-google/

Twitter uses “nofollow” in profile link:

“ My personal twitter page has 1700 links, 1500+ followers, contains over 7000 tweets and is a toolbar PR of 5. Last I checked, I got all those links. I wrote all that content. All those people were following me as a person. I developed that link popularity. Why on earth would I not deserve ALL the benefits (including that in the form of a profile link) from building up the value of that page?”

http://www.sugarrae.com/twitter-lays-down-for-google/

Off-page Optimization: Inbound Links 10 Myths about… 7 Secrets for… The Beginners Guide to… How to… Interviews

10 Myths about…

7 Secrets for…

The Beginners Guide to…

How to…

Interviews

Off-page Optimization: TrustRank TrustRank is a link analysis technique described in a paper by Standford University and Yahoo! researchers for semi-automatically separating useful webpages from spam. The starting point of the algorithm is the selection of good (trusted) pages by hand. These pages are the sources of trust. Trust can be transferred to other page by linking to them.

TrustRank is a link analysis technique described in a paper by Standford University and Yahoo! researchers for semi-automatically separating useful webpages from spam.

The starting point of the algorithm is the selection of good (trusted) pages by hand. These pages are the sources of trust. Trust can be transferred to other page by linking to them.

Off-page Optimization: Universal Search

Off-page Optimization: Universal Search

Off-page Optimization: Universal Search Content Distribution Strategy Website Partners to Host Content Article / Whitepaper Submission Sites (EzineArticles, GoArticles, etc…) Social Media Tagging (Digg, Reddit, Delicious, StumbleUpon, etc…) PowerPoint Submissions (SlideShare) Video Submissions (YouTube, Blip.tv, Google Video, etc…) Photo & Image Submissions (Flickr, PhotoBucket, Picasa) Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Format for All Content Allows for content (i.e. blog posts, videos, podcasts, articles, event updates, etc.) to be easily syndicated to other websites.

Content Distribution Strategy

Website Partners to Host Content

Article / Whitepaper Submission Sites (EzineArticles, GoArticles, etc…)

Social Media Tagging (Digg, Reddit, Delicious, StumbleUpon, etc…)

PowerPoint Submissions (SlideShare)

Video Submissions (YouTube, Blip.tv, Google Video, etc…)

Photo & Image Submissions (Flickr, PhotoBucket, Picasa)

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Format for All Content

Allows for content (i.e. blog posts, videos, podcasts, articles, event updates, etc.) to be easily syndicated to other websites.

Off-page Optimization: Universal Search

Off-page Optimization: Universal Search

Personalized Search & Google’s SearchWiki

WORKSHOP SESSION Divide into client groups (PBS.org / Seeds of Peace) Conduct keyword research Come up with 10 head of tail keywords and 10 long tail keywords Come up with 5 potential domain names for you client’s website Inbound Link Research Download Google’s PageRank Toolbar Find 5 different web pages where your client’s website would benefit by obtaining a link from that page.

Divide into client groups (PBS.org / Seeds of Peace)

Conduct keyword research

Come up with 10 head of tail keywords and 10 long tail keywords

Come up with 5 potential domain names for you client’s website

Inbound Link Research

Download Google’s PageRank Toolbar

Find 5 different web pages where your client’s website would benefit by obtaining a link from that page.