An introduction to SEO and overview of using Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools

1. FireBootCamp
Introduction to SEO
PRESENTER: CRAIG BAILEY
7 MARCH 2014

2. Learn&Apply
Quick presentations on the key SEO items
Aiming for the 80% (from the 80/20)
07
MAR
??
MAR
Introduction to SEO
An overview of the basics of SEO, plus tools
every web developer should be using.
Advanced SEO
A look at link building, social and other
channels for improving your traffic.
xen.com.au
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3. TheBlokePresenting
Craig Bailey
XEN Systems
o
o
o
o
o
Digital Agency
Online strategy
SEO and SEM
Social
Analytics Training
Developer background
•
•
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Database developer
Web developer
Microsoft MVP 2007-2009
xen.com.au
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4. Today’s Goals
Introduction to SEO
Overview of how Google and Bing rank sites
Recommended Tools
Tools you should use
The Importance of Content
Why writing good quality content helps your
rankings
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5. Your Outcomes
o Understand the basics of SEO
o Set up Google account (if you don’t already have one)
o Set up Google Analytics
o Set up Google Webmaster Tools
o Set up Bing Webmaster Tools
o Understand the value of good content
o Understand keywords and start thinking about your ‘customer’
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6. What is SEO?
Search engine optimisation… ie optimising your site so that Google will rank it higher
Maximise the number of keywords the site can rank for in Google
Increase traffic to the site
Matching the site to the right kind of visitors
Actively monitoring the site for improvements, threats, issues, gains, opportunities
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7. Why Build A Web Site?
Drive Traffic
Traffic comes from a variety of
sources including:
•
Organic (Google, Bing)
•
Paid (AdWords, Facebook,
LinkedIn)
•
Social (Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr,
Pinterest)
•
Referral (other sites)
•
Direct
•
Email campaigns
Convert Customers
Conversions can include:
•
New leads
•
New customers
•
Pageviews (engagement)
•
Awareness (branding)
•
Registrations
Make Money
Although there are exceptions,
most web sites have a
financial component to
them.
They are commisioned with the
aim of making money for
the company.
If a client has paid a premium
for a web site, they are
usually expecting a
premium return.
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8. Marketing
Marketing
Online
Offline
Paid
SEO (Organic is ‘Free’)
Direct
Social
On-Page
xen.com.au
Off-Page
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9. Google Algorithm
o Uses hundreds of inputs/factors (for fun read this Moz blog post)
o Constantly changing
o Personalised (eg results are different depending on location and device)
o On-page items: Page Titles
o Off-page items: Good quality links
o High quality content is important
o Being a big brand is a big help!
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10. xen.com.au
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11. xen.com.au
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12. xen.com.au
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13. SEO Checklist
Item
System
Required
01
Page Titles
Code or CMS
Yes
02
Page META descriptions
Code or CMS
Yes
03
Headings - H1, H2, H3
Content
Yes
04
Configure Google Analytics
Google Analytics & Code
Yes
05
Check robots.txt
Server
Yes
06
Configure Google Webmaster Tools
Google Webmaster Tools
Yes
07
XML Sitemap
Code or CMS
Priority
Optional
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14. On-page Items
Page items
1
Page Title
2
META Description
Include most valueable
keywords at the start
Aim to make this a ‘Call to
action’ statement.
Avoid using terms like
‘Home’ in the page Title
This is your chance to make
people click on a search
result.
Include brand terms
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15. Opportunity
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16. robots.txt
Used to block Googlebot
1
Staging
2
Go Live
Block everything
Block specifically
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
User-agent: *
Disallow: /login.aspx
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17. XML Sitemap
‘Guides’ Google
•
•
•
•
Guides Google to important content
Include important content
Exclude admin sections, Site Layout
folders, protected membership areas
Set to recreate regularly
Google Webmaster Tools
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18. Tools
o Google Analytics
o Google Webmaster Tools
o Google AdWords
o Keyword Tools
o Other Tools
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19. Google Analytics
o Track visitor sources, behaviour, conversions
o
http://www.google.com.au/analytics/
o
You need to have a Google account – set up a Gmail account if easiest
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20. Take a look at Analytics
Analytics
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21. Google Webmaster Tools
o Check Site issues, XML sitemaps, robots.txt
o
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
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22. Google Webmaster Tools
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23. Take a look at GWT
Google Webmaster Tools
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24. Bing Webmaster Tools
o Check Site issues, XML sitemaps
o
http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster
o
Use your Live ID (Microsoft Account)
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25. Take a look at BWT
Google Webmaster Tools
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26. Other Tools
o Google Places for Business
o Bing Places for Business
o Should I set up a Google+ account?
o Search operators: site:firebootcamp.com
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27. Keyword Tools
o Uber Suggest (good, but tends to break a lot - http://ubersuggest.org/)
o Term Explorer (has a limited free option - http://termexplorer.com/Public/)
o Google Keyword Tool (requires an AdWords account)
o Bing Webmaster Tools Keyword research (good, but limited to Bing search
volumes)
o SEObook Keyword Tool (free registration http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/)
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28. Other Stuff
o Links
o Redirects
o META robot tags
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29. Links
Links are the currency of the web
Links are huge indicator to Google as to what a
page is about and what it should rank for
‘Click here’ example
Click here
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30. Redirects
301 Redirects are super important!
301s redirect old URLs (that probably no longer
exist) to the new site URLs. Eg:
From: mysite.com/about.php
To: mysite.com/about/
They can be added:
1. individually in IIS, OR
2. in bulk using IIS rewritemap.config files.
Why Redirects are important
Using IIS for implementing
redirects
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31. Redirects
301 Redirects are super important!
Here’s the organic traffic graph for a site that
went live and didn’t implement 301s.
Why Redirects are important
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32. META tags
Meta Robot tags help keep pages out of
Google’s index
Set the Site Layout folder to:
• Private
Set the Site Layout Meta Tags to:
• noarchive (ticked)
• noindex (ticked)
• nofollow (usually leave this unticked)
Noindex = Google won’t include
it in the Google search results
Noarchive = Google won’t keep
a cache copy of the page
Nofollow = Google won’t follow
links on the page
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33. Questions
o Can I buy links? (Don’t!)
o What should I start with? (Brand terms)
o Do social signals help rankings? (Yes, but minor)
o Is blog commenting OK? (Yes, depending on quality)
o Do meta keywords help? (No)
o What are redirects? And are they important? (Yes)
o Can I track conversions in Google Analytics? (Yes)
o What about using JavaScript libraries? (Can be problematic, use
?_escaped_fragment_=, see this)
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34. QuickSummary
o Most sites are ultimately focussed on increasing their financial return
o SEO is the process of optimising a site to improve its Google rankings
o Page titles are important
o Good content is important
o Links are important
o Use Google Analytics to measure what is working
o Use Google Webmaster Tools to monitor site issues and queries
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35. ContactInformation
XEN Systems is a digital agency based in Sydney, Australia.
We focus on the 4 S’s of digital: Strategy, SEO, SEM and
Social, with an integrated approach to help your company
reach and engage its target customers.
XEN Systems
PO Box 527
Chatswood NSW 2057
Tel : 02 8006 4428
Mobile: 0413 489 388
Email: craig@xen.com.au
@XENsystems
Helpdesk
helpdesk@xen.com.au
xen.com.au
Facebook.com/XENSystems
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36. Thank You
xen.com.au
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