The document is a search engine optimization audit report for Careerly that provides recommendations to improve the site's visibility and organic search rankings. It analyzes site traffic sources and user behavior data, identifies keywords to target, and recommends on-page changes like adding text, meta descriptions, and photo alt tags with keywords. The report suggests implementing the suggested technical changes and keyword targeting to increase Careerly's percentage of traffic from Google organic search from its current baseline of 23%. It also proposes adding Google Analytics and pursuing other long-term strategies like third-party reviews and links.

1. Search Engine Optimization Audit
Report by Lisa Gelhaus
June 2015

2. Review of Careerly
Site Statistics

3. Web Sites Referring to Careerly
Direct visitors 57 percent
Google 23 percent
Business Insider 10 percent
Levo.com 5 percent
Facebook: 3 percent
Direct Visitors
Google
Business Insider
Levo
Facebook

4. Square Space Metrics
Audience Visits Page Views
During Previous Year
958
1202
2826
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Avg Previous Year
Audience Visits Page Views

5. Devices Accessing Careerly During
Previous Year
Desktop: 77 percent
Operating System
Windows 7 Mac OSX Windows 8
Mobile: 23 percent
Operating System
Iphone Android

6. Visitors Geographic Locations
Google Visitors
1: Google.com= United States
2: Google.ca = Canada
3: Google.ae = United Arab Emirates
Source: Square Space Metrics

8. Strategy: Increase Careerly Google Page
Ranking Via Keyword and On-page Targeting
Implementation of a dozen or so
keywords with recommended technical
changes to improve Careerly’s page
ranking and increase the percentage of
Google organic search.
Twenty-three percent is the baseline.
Once SEO recommendations
implemented, check metrics to view
changes in organic search.

9. Google Keyword
Research Results

10. Keyword Research
Google Keyword Research:
Career Counselor, Career Counseling, Career Coach, Job Search, Interview
Preparation, Interviewing, Resume Services, Resume, Vocational Services,
Outplacement Services, Career Services At Universities, Career Advice, Job
Search Advice, free career advice.

11. Keyword Targeting
Low Competition
Number of Searches Monthly
Medium Competition
Number of Searches Monthly
High Competition
Number of Searches Monthly
Interviewing
1,900
Resume
368,000
Job search
246,000
Vocational services
210
Career advice
2,900
Career counseling
6,600
Job search advice
260
Career counselor
2,900
Resume services
4,400
Interview preparation
1,900
Free career advice
50 searches
Career coach
4,400
Career change
Outplacement services
720

12. Keyword Selection and Usage
Best practices for writing descriptions, titles or content.
Pick two or three keywords per webpage.
Pick keywords from each category: High, Medium, and Low.

13. Add Text And Keywords
Issue: Pages on Careerly site are dominated by photographs and few
words.
Recommendation: Add 200 to 300 additional words of “value” to
pages with less than 100 words. Consider adding text to landing page.
Why It’s Important: Google’s website bots can’t read photographs.
Local competitors are benefitting from organic search by using more
keywords on their webpages.

14. On-Page Targeting

15. Good News!
Careerly has page titles.
Page titles are major factor in search engine results.

16. Missing Meta Descriptions
• Issue: web pages missing Meta descriptions.
• Why it’s important: This is the advertising opportunity for your page
because well-written descriptions encourage search engine users to click on
your page.
• Recommendation: Add missing meta descriptions to web pages.

17. Add Meta Descriptions
• Guidance on how to fix:
• Add a description that is between 150 and 160 characters.
• Make it unique and compelling..
• Choose a proper key word for the description..
• Caution: A heavy use of keywords can result in penalty and being barred from out of
ranking.
• See Notes Page View for recommended pages missing Meta Descriptions.

18. Meta Descriptions That
Need Shortening Or Lengthening
• Issue: Some pages need an increase in the number of characters on the link.
• Why It’s Important: Google and other search engines tend to shorten the
appearance of your meta description in search results.
• Recommendation: Decrease or increase the meta description on pages that
are either below between 70 characters or above 156 characters.

19. Meta Descriptions Over 155
• Recommendation: Change description to be unique and under 155.
• Issue: 19 pages need description shortening. Pages requiring changes can be
found in Notes Page View

20. Add Text to Photograph ALT Tags
Issue: Careerly’s website photographs have no ALT tags text and no key word
connections to career counseling, Careerly, career coach, job search, or career advice.
Why It’s Important: Google’s bot can’t crawl photos unless there is a description of
the photo.
Recommendations: Add a description to the header photograph files used on
Careerly’s webpages. Header photos are at the top of the page.
How To Fix It: Add unique description of photo. Add keyword or brand name to Alt
tags on photographs.

21. Recommendation for Website Usage
• Issue: No available data to determine visitors’ behavior on Careerly site.
• Rationale: Need more detailed information about website visitors.
• Recommendation: Add Google Analytics to your site.

22. Next Steps
Careerly determines which short term strategy
recommendations to implement and in what order.

23. Long Term Strategy Ideas
• Implement Careerly reviews on third party site.
• Pursue high-authority linking opportunities.
• Improve social content strategy.

24. Questions
Call or Email
Lisa Gelhaus
202-898-2825
Lisa.Gelhaus@gmail.com