SEO Company Los Angeles - Introduction to SEO

Introduction to
SEO
Justin Lofton – CEO
SEO Company Los Angeles
FreshSEOcompany.com
‣ 

SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com

AGENDA

What We Will Cover…
1. 
2. 

Understanding Your Market

3. 

User Experience Drives SEO & Conversions

4. 

Creating Killer Content

5. 

Driving Influence & Relevance

6. 

Expanding Your Influence

7. 
‣ 

How SEO Has Changed

Refining What s Working


2

INTRODUCTION

Let s Review The Facts…
‣ 
‣ 

16.7% = Microsoft Search Market Share (Bing)

‣ 

11.6% = Yahoo! Search Market Share (Bing)

‣ 

‣ 

67.5% = Google s Search Market Share

The rest don t matter (AOL & Ask)


3

MORE Facts

Organic Search = Traffic
‣ 

‣ 

86% of web searchers trust organic SEO listings
more than sponsored/paid PPC listings.

‣ 

‣ 

85% of clicks resulting from a search are on the
organic results rather than the paid ads.

The 1st, 2nd & 3rd organic positions deliver 61% of
the traffic from organic search


4

MORE Facts

DESKTOP Search hits all time
high…(March 2013)
‣ 
‣ 

Despite MASSIVE growth in mobile search

‣ 

Despite Large Adoption of Tablets

‣ 
‣ 

20+ Billion Searches Per Month

The Search Pie is Growing Rapidly


5

Other Important Facts

Buyers love Search…
61% of global Internet users research
products online. (Interconnected World)
‣ 

41% of online shoppers begin by using
a search engine. (Interconnected World)
‣ 

57% of TV viewers use the web
simultaneously. (Nielson)
‣ 

‣ 


6

Introduction to SEO

1. How Has SEO
Changed?
‣ 


1. How Has SEO Changed?

1. 
2. 

New Signals Are Needed To Win

3. 

Authority Means More Today

4. 

Relevance Creates Authority

5. 

‣ 

The Machine Is Smarter

Your Visitor Is Priority #1


8


The Machine is Smarter
• 
• 

Engaging Content Is A Must

• 

‣ 

Science + Art = Success

Social Signals Play A Critical Role


9


New Signals Are Needed To Win
Old Signals
‣  Links

= votes (some more important than others)

‣  Content

= relevancy & builds PageRank

‣  PageRank

= Google s algorithm backbone

New Signals
‣  Social

Media = FB, +1, Rel Author, Twitter, etc)

‣  Authority

(Co-citation, Branded Anchors, Direct Traffic)

‣  Engagement

(Page speed, time on site, bounce rate)
‣  SEO Company Los Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com

10


Authority Means More Today
What Determines Authority?
1. Rel=Author
2. Direct

Traffic (Chrome, Gmail, Analytics)

3. Co-citations
4. Branded

(Is your brand name in content?)

Anchors Text

5. Relevancy

‣ 

(Post Penguin 2.0)

Creates Authority


11


Relevancy Creates Authority
Become more relevant to your niche and
authority with search engines will improve…
• Acquire

links from industry/topically related
websites (directories, associations, citation
websites)
• Organize
• Use

website content (create silos)

Rel=Author to create engagement and
conversation in your industry or with your
customers

12


Example of Rel=Author

‣ 


13


Your Visitor is Priority #1
Focus on improving these key performance
indicators (KPIs)
‣  Time

on site

‣  Bounce
‣  Page

rate

speed / page size

These elements also lead to higher conversions!
‣ 


14

Introduction to SEO

2. Understanding Your
Market

‣ 


2. Understanding Your Market

1. 
2. 

Who Are Your Competitors?

3. 

Who Is Searching For You?

4. 

What Is The Language of Your Market?

5. 

‣ 

What Keywords Are Driving Traffic & Sales?

What Is The Market Asking About?


16


What Keywords Are Driving Traffic
& Sales?
• 

Google Keyword Planner

• 

SEMrush

• 

Suggestions
‣ 
‣ 

Yahoo

‣ 

Bing

‣ 

‣ 

Google

Amazon

‣  eBay

17


Google s Keyword Planner
• 

• 

Go to “Keyword Ideas” tab

• 

‣ 

Brainstorm 5 to 10 broad
keywords in your market

Export all to CSV for easy
management


18


SEMrush s Keyword DATA
• 
• 

Grab main keywords

• 

Add those back into
SEMrush

• 

‣ 

Use your website first

Add all of those related
keywords to your CSV
from Google keyword tool


19


Google Suggestions
• 
• 

Grab all keywords

• 

‣ 

Also use UberSuggest.org

Add all of those suggestion
keywords to your CSV
from Google keyword tool


20


Other Suggestion Data

‣ 


21


Putting it together
• 

• 

Focus on relevancy to your
product or service

• 

‣ 

Identify 5 to 10 Core
Keywords

Organize keywords so that
you have 20 to 50
keywords in each Core
Keyword grouping


22


Who Are Your Competitors?
Search Competitors
‣  Use

keyword research to identify 5 to 10 Core Keywords and 10 main
competitors that rank well for your those Core Keywords

Non-Search Competitors
‣  These

‣ 

could be offline or from Pay Per Click


23


Who Is Searching For You?
1. 

2. 

Use Google analytics data to understand
from what countries, states and cities are
driving your web traffic and sales

3. 

‣ 

Use Alexa.com demographic data to
understand who is searching and visiting
your website and your competitors website

Combine this data with your sales data and
build persona(s) for your ideal prospects


24


Step 1. Review Organic Search Results &
Content
‣  What

type of content and information is
ranking in the top 10 results of Google?

‣  What

messaging are those search
competitors using in their content?

‣ 


25


Step 2. Review PPC Ad Text & Landing
Pages
‣  What

words are used to drive the clicks?

‣  What

are the calls to action on the
landing pages?

‣ 


26


Step 3. Put The Information Together = Formula
for Success
‣  What

content type will engage your visitors?

‣  What

benefits are the rest of the competitors
using in their text?

‣  What

calls to action align well with your products
and sales funnel?

27


Yahoo Answers
‣  Search

for your Core Keywords

‣  What

questions are people consistently
asking?

‣ 


28


Amazon
‣  Search
‣  Find

your keywords

top selling books (they rank at the

top)
‣  Read

titles, back of book & table of
contents

‣ 


29

Introduction to SEO

3. User Experience Drives SEO
& Conversions

‣ 



1. 
2. 

Use of Facial Imagery

3. 

A Clear Call to Action

4. 

Clear Messaging

5. 

‣ 

Trust Elements

Use Testimonials


31

32


Questions Running Through The Consumer s Mind
During The Purchase Process…
• 
• 

Am I Making The Right Choice?

• 

Is This All I Need?

• 

Is This The Right Version?

• 

What If It Doesn't Work?

• 

Will It Take A Lot Of Time?

• 

Can I Afford It?

• 

Is It Easy To Use?

• 

‣ 

Is It Right For Me?

What Will My Friends, Family & Peers Say?

• 

Do I Know Enough About The Company
That's Selling It To Me?



Trust Elements That Work
Small Things Build Big Trust…
‣  Better

Business Bureau

‣  Secure

Checkout Images

‣  Guarantees
‣  Associations
‣  Credit

Card Images

‣  Mentions
‣ 

/ Featured On

‣ 
SEOClient Logos Angeles – FreshSEOcompany.com
Company Los

33


Use of Facial Imagery
People Connect With People, Not Websites
‣  Align
‣  Let

With Ideal Prospects

Imagery Tell The Story

‣  Make

Sure Visitors See Eyes

‣  Show

The Emotions of Pain & Pleasure

‣  Use

‣ 

In The Fold All The Time


34


A Clear Call to Action
Keep it simple and tell them what to do…
‣  Minimize
‣  Make

Number of Calls to Action

Sure Buttons Look Like Buttons

‣  Use

Full Phone Number

‣  Use

Contrasting Colors

‣  Motivate

‣ 

With Benefits


35


Clear Messaging
Simple
‣  One

Idea Per Page

‣  Focus
‣  So

On Outcomes

What Test

‣  Use

Big Headlines

‣  Motivate

With Benefits

36


Use Testimonials
Build Credibility & Trust
‣  Align

With Ideal Prospects

‣  Keep

Them Short

‣  Use

Facial Imagery

‣  Videos
‣  Use
‣ 

Are Great Too

Throughout Sales Funnel


37

Introduction to SEO

4. Creating Killer Content

‣ 



1. 
2. 

Killer Content Ideas

3. 

Where Is The Low Hanging Fruit?

4. 

Epic Headlines

5. 

‣ 

Why Does Killer Content Always Win?

Optimizing Your Killer Content


39


Why Does Killer Content Always Win?
Who Ever Holds The Attention Wins
‣  It

Builds MASSIVE Trust

‣  It

Naturally Gets Shared

‣  Google

Gets The Signals It Wants

‣  It
‣  It

‣ 

Creates Conversation
Sets You Apart From Your Competition


40

41


Killer Content Ideas
‣  Videos

(instructional,
entertaining, demonstration)

‣  Slide

Shows (imagery,
instruction, Top X Lists)

‣  Mind

Mapping (unique
diagrams, charts)

‣  Flow

Charts

‣  Interviews
‣ 

(audio, video or text)

‣  Articles

That Educate

‣  Infographics

(graphics that

educate)
‣  Reports
‣  Free

That Educate

Tools

‣  Calculators
‣  Webinars



Where is The Low Hanging Fruit?
It s Easier Than You Think…
‣  Leverage
‣  Video

Is The King & Costs Are Reasonable

‣  Answer
‣  Push

Assets You Already Have

The Questions In The Market

Through All Channels

‣  Consistently
‣ 

Create Content


42


Epic Headlines
Use These Resources For Success…
• 101

Headline Formulas (Google it)

• PopURLs.com
• Digg.com

‣ 


43


Optimize Your Killer Content
Google Still Loves Text…
• Core

of Google s Algorithm

• Books

= Evergreen Content

• Newspapers
• Clear

Headlines & Sub-Headlines

• Engaging
• LOTS
‣ 

= Blogging

Images and/or Video

of Text!!!


44


Let s Cover The Technical Stuff…
• META

Title – Lead With Keyword(s), End With
Benefits, Get Attention – 57 to 67 Characters max
• META

Description – Use Core & Secondary
Keywords, Reinforce Benefits – 140 Characters max
• META
• URL

‣ 

Keywords – Not Needed

– Include Your Keyword


45


What You Need To Do…
• Big

Attention-Getting Headline With Main
Keyword (H1 a must, H2 & H3 optional)
• Engaging

Image or Video (name your image or
video with secondary keyword)
• 600

to 1200 words of text (break it up with
bulleted and numbered lists & imagery)
‣ 


46

Introduction to SEO

5. Driving Influence &
Relevancy

‣ 


5. Driving Influence & Relevancy

1. 
2. 

Directories That Matter

3. 

Press Release Syndication

4. 

Social Media Marketing

5. 

Blogging Strategy

6. 

‣ 

Competitive Link Analysis

Are You A Local Business?


48


Competitive Link Analysis
Hangout In Their Neighborhood…
• Use

MajesticSEO or OpenSiteExplorer

• Find

Websites Linking to 2 or More of Your
Competitors (industry hubs)
• These

Links Drive Relevance & Are Easier To
Acquire
‣ 


49


Directories That Matter
They Still Mean A Lot…
• DMOZ

– Submit & Wait

• Yahoo

Directory – $299 Per Year

• Starting
• Best

‣ 

Point - $99 Per Year

of The Web - $299 Lifetime


50


Press Release Syndication
Yes They Work…Still 
• PRWeb,
• Links

from Authority Websites

• Anchor

Text Relevancy

• Branded
• Media
‣ 

PRLeap, PRNewsWire

Mentions

Exposure


51


Where Does Your Crowd Hang Out?
• 3

Must-Haves – Facebook, Twitter, Google+

• YouTube

now Social

• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Tumblr

‣ 


52


I Thought This Was About SEO…?
• Linking
• Links

To Authority Websites

From Authority Websites

• Virality

Creates More Links

• Branded

Mentions Create Authority

• Consistency

Creates Both Influence &

Relevance
‣ 


53


Blogging Strategy
Quality & Consistency is Key…
• Start

Out At Least Once Per Week

• Work
• Show

Social Buttons

• Allow

Others To Guest Blog

• 500+

‣ 

Up To Once Per Business Day

Words (no thin pages)


54


Are You A Local Business?
Google+ Is Your Friend…
• Claim

Your Google+ Local Listing

• Create

Local & National Citations

• Proactively

‣ 

Gather Positive Reviews


55

Introduction to SEO

6. Expanding Your
Influence

‣ 


6. Expanding Your Influence

1. 
2. 

Leverage Channels That Rank

3. 

‣ 

Building Social Proof
Web Property Link Acquisition


57


Building Social Proof
Google Top 10 Positions Are Beach Front
Property…
• Post

Penguin 2.1 – Now Displaying More URL
Diversity
• Push

Competitors Off The First Page

• When

‣ 

All Roads Lead To You…You Win!!!


58


Leverage Channels That Rank
Some Properties Are Always There…
• Approx
• Short

70+ post Penguin 2.1

List

• 

• 

Tumblr

• 

YouTube

• 

Flickr

• 

LinkedIn

• 

Reddit

• 
‣ 

Facebook

Blogger

• 

Yahoo Answers


59


Web Property Link Acquisition
Create A Web of Authority…
•  Interlink
•  Make
•  Lead
•  Use

It Easy For Visitors
Them Home

Branded & Keyword Anchors

•  People

‣ 

Your Newly Created Properties

Searching Won t Have A Choice


60

Introduction to SEO

7. Refine What s
Working

‣ 


7. Refine What s Working

1. 
2. 

Follow The Momentum

3. 

‣ 

KPIs That Matter
Wrap Up The Entire Market


62


KPIs That Matter
What Ultimately Affects The Bottom Line…
• Leads

& Sales (set up goals)

• Rankings?
• Traffic

(overall)

• Referral

Traffic (beach front property)

• Engagement

– Time on site, bounce rate,

social signals
‣ 


63


Follow The Momentum
Make The Strong, Stronger…
• Focus

on Core Keyword Campaigns That Are
Increasing Leads & Sales
• Add

More Content On Those Topics

• Make

More Videos Related To Those
Campaigns
• Test

Content Types on Keywords That Are
Converting
‣ 


64


Wrap Up The Market
All Ships Rise With The Tide…
• Remarketing
• Pay

Per Click – Search, Social & YouTube

• Affiliate

‣ 

– Search & Social

Marketing – Open New Channels


65

Introduction to SEO

Q&A
FreshSEOcompany.com
‣ 


66

Introduction to SEO

Bonus…

‣ 


Bonus…

• 
• 

Questions You Should Be Asking

• 

‣ 

Frequently Asked Questions
Unbiased Answers - I ll do my best J


68

Bonus…

69

Frequently Asked Questions
1. 

2. 

How Much Time Will My Staff Have To Work On This?

3. 

‣ 

How Long Does It Take To See Results From Search Engine
Optimization Efforts?
Our Competitors Are Way Ahead of Us Should We Invest In Another
Channel?


Bonus…

1. How Long Does It Take To See Results From Search
Engine Optimization Efforts?
• 
• 

It depends on the market and competition

• 

It depends on the starting point

• 

We often do see results within weeks

• 

‣ 

I always tell clients that 3 months is a reasonable expectation

A long term outlook is critical – Think mutual fund investing vs day
trading (PPC)


70

Bonus…

2. How Much Time Will My Staff Need To
Work On This?
• 
• 

‣ 

The first 4 to 8 weeks are critical to getting SEO campaigns launched
After the setup period you will only need to approve ongoing content
creation and other changes that might be necessary to the website


71

Bonus…

72

3. Our Competitors Are Way Ahead of Us. Should We
Invest In Another Channel?
• 

• 

Most of your competitors will have large holes in their strategy so you
can take advantage of that and close in on them quickly

• 

‣ 

At the end of the day, organic search will deliver the highest ROI
compared to other marketing channels

All channels are working together in today s marketplace so you need
to be there


Bonus…

Questions You Should Be Asking When
Choosing A SEO Agency
1. 

Why Are Your SEO Services So Cheap?

2. 

Why Do I Need To Sign A Contract?

3. 

Do You Have Recent Case Studies & References?

4. 

What Content Do We Have Available That Isn t On Our Website?

5. 

How Can We Start Making Videos To Use In Our Marketing Efforts?

6. 

Can I Handle SEO With In-House Staff Alone?

What Are The Biggest SEO Traps?
7. 

73

Bonus…

1. Why Are Your SEO Services
So Cheap?
• 

• 

These price points are common for link builders or website
optimizers

• 

‣ 

If you are being offered SEO services for $300 or less then you will
likely see no results

SEO should incorporate detailed market and keyword research,
website optimization, content creation, link acquisition and social
engagement strategies


74

Bonus…

75

2. Why Do I Need to Sign A Contract?
• 

• 

You need the ability to switch to another SEO partner if they are not
producing results

• 

‣ 

Look for providers that will deliver services month-to-month or give you
a 3 month trial period before signing a longer term contract.

In today s market the nimble win. Waiting for a contract to end can
cost you far more than the cost of the contract itself


Bonus…

76

3. Do You Have Recent Case Studies &
References?
• 
• 

Make sure the proof is recent – due to ongoing Google updates
(Panda, Penguin, Penguin 2.0, etc) you need to know they are still
producing results

• 

‣ 

Make sure you see proof of the SEO providers work

You should be able to contact current clients to get some comfort that
you are committing to a SEO partner that has what it takes to win


Bonus…

77

4. What Content Do We Have Available That Isn t
On Our Website?
• 

• 

‣ 

Have you created content for offline use that could be put online? –
pamphlets, books, articles for magazines, instruction manuals, reports,
testimonials, videos
You can catch to competitors much quicker if you try and leverage
assets you already have available to you


Bonus…

5. How Can We Start Making Videos To Use In Our
Marketing Efforts?
• 
• 

Low production videos perform better on the Internet

• 

‣ 

Video should be a cornerstone of your content creation
How do we turn text based content into video content?


78

Bonus…

6. Can I Handle SEO With In-House Staff Alone?
• 

• 

The talented folks that are available demand big salaries and need
additional personnel to fully deploy and manage campaigns

• 

You basically need a team to address on-page optimization, content
creation, link acquisition and social media

• 

‣ 

In today s market it is very difficult to find talented people that
understand every element of search engine optimization

The ROI is typically much bigger when using a SEO partner that
delivers results, compared to hiring in-house staff


79

Bonus…

7. What are the biggest seo traps?
• 
• 

Worrying about Google penalizing your website

• 

Being overly concerned with optimizing website content

• 

Thinking you will see overnight results from SEO efforts

• 

‣ 

Paying too much attention to the SEO industry chatter

Staring at SEO rankings on a daily basis


80

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