SEO refers to search engine optimization and involves optimizing websites to increase their visibility in search engine results. The document discusses why public agencies should pay attention to SEO, including to protect their online authority and keep up with changing citizen behavior. It provides tips for public agencies on SEO best practices like using relevant keywords, adding external links, and avoiding obscure acronyms or hidden web pages. Newer factors like social media data and links are also becoming more important for search engine rankings. The document encourages public agencies to evaluate if SEO is worth investing in to better serve users searching online.

1. SEO for Public Agencies
Matt Williams
Communications Specialist
ACWA
mattw@acwa.com
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2. What Is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the
visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or
unpaid ("organic") search results. (Wikipedia)
Search engine optimization is a multidisciplinary activity that seeks to
generate productive organic traffic from search engines
via technically sound and connected sites by matching query intent
with relevance and value.
SEO refers to search engine optimization, or the process of optimizing
a website so that people can easily find it via search engines like
Google.
My definition: SEO is both a science and an art.
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3. Why the Public Sector Should Pay
Attention to SEO
• To protect your authority
• To keep up with changing citizen and customer
behavior.
• It can result in a better website experience for
the user.
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4. Domain Authority
http:/googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-new-search-index-caffeine.html
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/whiteboard-friday-domain-authority-page-authority-metrics 4

5. People are searching
• 90% of web traffic comes from outside of the
homepage. Much off this traffic comes from
Google search queries or, increasingly, a
website’s internal search capability.
http://www.govtech.com/e-government/Utahgov-Puts-Search-Front-and-Center.html
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6. • This trend toward search is backed up by an
increasing reliance on website analytics.
• http://www.govtech.com/e-government/States-Website-Analytics.html
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7. The Basics
• Effective SEO utilizes keywords, links and page
design.
Keywords are words that are most important
to the business you’re in. (e.g., Department of
Water Resources, wastewater, drinking
water, etc.)
Links and anchor text to outside, reputable
sources.
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8. Diversity of External Link Sources
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/10-illustrations-on-search-engines-valuation-of-links 8

9. The ‘Perfect’ page
A Title Packed With Keywords
Right: “Facebook stock jumps with Zuckerberg endorsement”
Wrong: CEO finds out Fb doing better
A URL with keywords in them
Right: money.cnn.com/2012/11/14/technology/social/facebook-shares-jump/
Wrong: money.cnn.com/2012/11/14/technology/social/4657578
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10. Tools for Finding Keywords
• Google AdWords (keyword tool) – Google account required
example No. 1: Los Angeles department of Water and Power
60,000 local searches
Competition: low
example No. 2: wastewater
450,000 searches
Competition: medium
Quandary: The tradeoff between competition vs. search volume.
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11. • Topic headers in the body of your pages. Make
them bold.
Roseville Water Agency Fast Facts
• Keyword density on the page and the body
text …. Water, water, water, etc.
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12. 12

13. Stuff to Avoid
• Obscure acronyms. Very few people search for
these.
• Overkill on keywords … it will hurt your page rank
and put off website visitors.
• Be aware of what your page looks like. Google is
becoming more intelligent about this.
• Webpages that are very difficult to find or hidden
away.
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14. Don’t “Look” Like a Content Farm
http://www.suite101.com/content/canada-awarded-fifa-2015-womens-world-cup-of-soccerfootball-a356303 14

15. Watch Out for “Classic” SEO Tactics
Directory Link Building Keyword-Variant Abuse
Reciprocal Link Pages Paid Links w/ Manipulative Anchor Text
Sitewide, Footer Links Navigation for Engines, Not Humans
Low Cost/Quality, Outsourced Content Generic Design and Layout
Anonymous Contact Forms Anchor-Text Rich Internal Links
Ad Blocks Dominating the Page Keyword Stuffed Titles + Pages
It’s great to do good SEO, just don’t look like the only reason the site exists is to draw Google traffic 15

16. http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors 16

17. New data will be available on SEOmoz in April, 2011 17

18. Big Changes from 2009 to 2011
• Link-Based Factors are no longer 60%+ of the equation!
• Social Data is perceived to be a significant player
• Page-Level Link Metrics Fell the Most (43% - 22%)
• Keyword-Level Domain Metrics, Brand Data + Social Rose
• The Survey itself asked for more detail/specificity
(which may be responsible for some of these shifts)
The new version of the ranking factors will be online in April, 2011 18

19. Twitter Data
Page A Page B
646 links from 36 root domains 1 link from 1 root domain
2 tweets 522 tweets
http:/googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-new-search-index-caffeine.html
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/how-do-tweets-influence-search-rankings-an-experiment-for-a-cause 19

20. Twitter Clearly Influencing Google
Page B – the
tweeted version –
ranks #1!
Page A Page B
646 links from 36 root domains 1 link from 1 root domain
2 tweets 522 tweets
http:/googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-new-search-index-caffeine.html
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/how-do-tweets-influence-search-rankings-an-experiment-for-a-cause 20

21. Search Quality Raters
http://www.seobook.com/archives/000915.shtml 21

22. How Google’s Interface Has Evolved
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23. Old Google SERPs
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24. Google SERPs Today
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25. Google SERPs Tomorrow
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26. Questions to Consider
• Should SEO be something my agency /
organization invests time and resources in?
• If I were a user looking for information on my
agency’s website, which keywords would I
look for?
• Is my organization’s website designed to
maximize the benefits of SEO? (Does it have
easy access to social media integration, etc.?)
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