The document discusses search engine optimization (SEO) and provides tips for optimizing websites. It introduces Path Interactive, an SEO agency founded in 2006 with over 45 employees. The document then covers on-page SEO tactics like using keyword-optimized titles, meta descriptions and headings to improve search engine rankings. It emphasizes choosing relevant keywords based on search volume, intent and competitiveness, and including these keywords in URLs, titles, subheadings and content on the optimized pages.

1. Demystifying Search Engine Optimization
Ruben Quinones
April 15th, 2015

2. • Founded in 2006
• 45+ Employees based in NY office
• Acquisition of Clear Search Media Inc. in 2012
• Marin Certified Professionals, Google AdWords
Professionals, Bing Accredited Professionals
• Our leaders are also Adjunct Instructors at
NYU, S.C.P.S. Digital Media Marketing Program
and regular panel speakers on SEO and Social
Media Topics
OUR BACKGROUND
And how we drive results
45+NYC EMPLOYEES

3. OUR CORE DIGITAL MARKETING CAPABILITES
PAID SEARCH MARKETING (PPC)
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
(SEO)
DISPLAY ADVERTISING (DA)
SOCIAL AD MANAGEMENT (SA)
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING (SMM)
CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION
(CRO)
OUR CORE SERVICES ARE SUPPORTED BY COMPELLING
CREATIVE, EFFICIENT DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCED ANALYTICS TEAMS.
PPC SEO
SOC SA

4. OUR CLIENTS
WE WORK WITH B2C, B2B, EMERGING AND LOCAL BRANDS

5. What is SEO?
Sponsored Results
Organic/ Natural / Non-
Paid Results
Local Listings

6. Why is it Important?
Traffic – Sales/leads
Branding / Thought Leadership
Reputation Management

7. How Search Engines Work – The Official Word
and content.
How Google Works
• Relevance
• Comprehensiveness
• Freshness
• Speed
The Official Word
“The Software behind our search technology conducts a series of simultaneous calculations
requiring only a fraction of a second. Traditional search engines rely heavily on how often a
word appears on a web page. We use more then 200 signals, including our patented
PageRank algorithm, to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which
pages are most important. We then conduct hypertext-matching analysis to determine
which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall
importance and query-specific relevance, we’re able to put the most relevant and reliable
results first” -Google

8. Ranking Factors (not official)

9. On Page Tactics
• Longtail
• Analyzing
Intent
Keyword
Research
• Titles
• Descriptions
• Meta tags
• Image tags
• Headers
• Keyword
Density
Proximity
Meta
Data
Page
Content
Web Page
Being
Optimized
What You can Control

10. INT RODUCT ION | PAT H INT E RACT IVE
Site Conducive for Search?

11. Site Review
• Is the development/structure of the site going to present
any challenges?
• Is there enough quality content to optimize?
• Is the site “conversion friendly?
• Is it Mobile? ….. “Mobilegeddon” … Test Your Site

12. SEO IA – Crafted Content Pages
Crafted content (deeper pages) provides site context for domain level SEO, expanded
keyword relevance and creates more results in the SERP index.

13. Keyword & Content Planning
Comprehensive site architecture and content planning is the most critical step in
the SEO process.

14. INT RODUCT ION | PAT H INT E RACT IVE
Keyword Strategy

15. How Customers Search
Searchers at different stages in the Customer Decision Journey will have different
objectives, and marketers need to intersect with the right content and message.
Informational--General
(acid reflux in foods, low acid diet,
heartburn after eating)
Transactional--Category
(heartburn treatments, stop
heartburn, reduce acid reflux)
Navigational
(Prilosec, Prilosec OTC, Prilosec
coupons buy prilosec 36 tabs,)
Transactional--Product
(24 hour heartburn medication,
OTC heartburn pills, review
heartburn pills)

16. Informational Transactional
“Find November Manhattan Storage
Rentals” is a transactional key phrase,
as the searcher seemingly intends to
purchase storage services as soon as
possible.
Other transactional key phrases:
•find storage space in New York
•mini storage rental nyc
•rental self storage in Manhattan
•rent a storage unit
•self storage rentals
“Storage tips” is an informational key
phrase, as the searcher may simply
be doing research on storage options
or gathering information for a future
purchase.
Other informational key phrases:
•help with clutter
•help with decluttering
•closet space ideas
•storage solutions
Navigational
“Manhattan Mini Storage” is a
navigational key phrase since it
contains the brand, as the searcher is
interested
in finding your website or deeper pages
within the brand.
Other navigational key phrases:
•Manhattan mini storage
•Manhattan mini storage facility
•Manhattan mini storage in soho
•Manhattan mini storage locations
•Manhattan Mini Storage Moving
Key Point: There is higher volume potential in informational based key phrases but they often
yield a lower conversion rate.
Searcher Intent

17. “Need storage now in NYC” is a geo-
modified key phrase, as it contains the
Geo-Qualifier “NYC” in it.
Other geo-modified key phrases:
•clothes storage nyc
•Manhattan storage
•Self storage Chelsea
•nyc mini storage
“Need storage now” is a general key
phrase, as it doesn’t contain a
location.
Other general key phrases:
•climate control storage
•secure storage
•local storage
•rent storage space
•self storage facilities
Key Point: Geography defines user intent more clearly than broad key phrases and helps to
define qualified leads.
General Geo-Modified
General vs. Geo-Modified

18. Price Specific Solution/Size Specific
“Small storage room” is a
solution/size-specific key
phrase, as the searcher needs a
certain size storage unit.
Other solution/size-specific :
•small storage unit
•small storage lockers
•large storage
•large storage facility
“Local cheap storage” is a
price-specific key phrase, as the
searcher is clearly price-
conscious.
Other price-specific key phrases:
•affordable storage in NYC
•cheap mini storage
•cheap self storage in
•cheapest nyc storage
•storage units cheap
“Furniture storage” is an item-
specific key phrase, as the
searcher clearly needs to store
a specific type of item.
Other item-specific key phrases:
•clothes storage nyc
•document storage
•appliance storage
•storage for appliances
Key Point: Certain Key phrases show specific searcher intent which indicates potential for
conversion and provides targeted messaging opportunities.
Item Specific
Intent Based Attributes

19. Keyword Research Tools
Trellian: www.keyworddiscovery.com
Wordtracker: www.wordtracker.com
Google Keyword Tool:
https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner
Google Insights:
https://www.google.com/trends/

20. Selection keywords by following criteria...
● Search Volume – Does it generate volume? Would have to show some search volume, but also have an understanding
that a search term with 100 searches a month in for a particular industry might be more meaningful than a company that
relies on heavy volume to be profitable.
● Competition – How many web sites/pages speak to those terms on Google now, highly competitive search terms may
result in a longer timeframe to rank for.
● Intent and relevancy - Are the search terms clear in their intent and are they relevant and meaningful for the site to
capture as a visitor. A broader term may have heavier volume, however generally fail to have a clear intent in what the
searcher might be truly searching for.
● Pages represented on the site – Overall, does the site, or will the site be able to speak to the terms that we have
selected. Or can there be pages developed in the context of the key terms selected?
● Current SERPS – Is there a particular page ranking for a term that hits on the previous criteria. In this case we may want
to optimize around it.
Key Term Selection

21. Key terms selected will be utilized as primary and/or secondary terms depending on the page content that we
develop in addition to metadata fields. It is possible that new pages may need to be developed to capitalize on
all priority terms.
• Primary terms will be targeted for headlines and page titles
• Secondary terms will be targeted for sub headlines and tagging
Both sets of terms can be primary or secondary depending on the content.
Rule of thumb: If it doesn’t make sense, do not apply.
Key Term Selection

22. INT RODUCT ION | PAT H INT E RACT IVE
Applying Key Phrases on Your Site

23. Create Search Friendly URL’s
Maintain the same domain structure. For shallow folders create keyword themes
and for page names embed your primary targeted key phrase.
Use – instead of an _ for separating keywords in the name.
Good Example
http://pathinteractive.com/SEO/SEO-Training-Classes
Bad Example
http://pathinteractive.com/file/qdld&mg=vv7hd4=88
Good example is more enticing to the visitor when seen in search results
Dynamic URL’s typically do not perform well and do not add benefit for SEO.
Search Friendly URL’s

24. Meta Tags
Title Tags
The title of the link within the SERP.
Use your targeted key phrase as the first words of the title tag for Keyword
Proximity.
Only the first 70 characters gets indexed. 5 to 8 words in length.
Good Example
<title>Computer Repair Services; Expert Computer Repair & IT Service | Computer
Troubleshooters USA</title>
Meta Tags are not only important to give Search Engines clues of keywords
but are the provide the on-page link text to sell your message!

25. Description Tags
• Often the description of your SERP link that is displayed
• Not used directly in Google’s algorithm but including keywords bolds text to increase CTR.
• Use strong marketing statements and include primary and secondary key phrases.
• No more than 155 characters. 20-25 words
Meta Tags

26. Keyword Tags
• Use up to 10 targeted key phrases.
• Start with primary key phrase and close variations
• Still used by second tier engines and custom search.
Meta Tags

27. <h1>Heading
<img alt=”...”>
Caption
Page Content
<h2>Sub Headline
On – Page Optimization

28. Header Tags
Employ H1 tag for page headlines and H2’s and H3’s for sub headlines. Optimal
placement of key phrases on page within these headers.
<h1> Heading
<h2> Sub-
heading
Applying Key Phrases on Page

29. Headlines (<h1> Tag) – Primary Key Phrases
Applying Key Phrases on Page

30. Sub headlines (<h2> Tag) – Secondary Phrases
Applying Key Phrases on Page

31. Headers
Include your primary key phrase within the H1 tag. Include exact match placement within the H1 and
then alternate placements within H2 tags. Include key phrases in 35% of H2 as rule of thumb.
Keyword Density
Exact key phrase placement should be approximately 5% of the overall body text. The goal is to be
slightly more inclusive than the top competitors but not too dense to indicate red flags.
Keyword Proximity
Placing key phrases at the beginning of the body text and at the end within your call to action
emphasizes your keyword focus.
Content Length
Well focused SEO pages typically run 300-500 words in length.
It is important to write content for the user, the trick is to stay “trustworthy”
when being “keywordy”.
Applying Key Phrases on Page

32. INT RODUCT ION | PAT H INT E RACT IVE
Tools

33. Keyword Density Tool for SEO
http://www.pathinteractive.com/free-seo-technical-audit-tool/

34. Keyword Density Tool for SEO
http://www.pathinteractive.com/not-provided/keyword-density-tool-seo.php

35. Not Provided Estimator Tool
http://www.pathinteractive.com/not-provided/keyword-density-tool-seo.php

36. Not Provided Estimator Tool
Download

37. Let’s Connect!
Connect with me on
Linkedin and request
this presentation
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenquinones