This document discusses search engine optimization (SEO) strategies for boosting search rankings. It covers on-page factors like content, HTML, and website architecture that search engines evaluate. Off-page factors discussed include links, social media, trust signals, and personalization. The document also examines local SEO ranking factors and top considerations like category associations and citations. Finally, it outlines the differences between white-hat and black-hat SEO techniques and questions to ask an SEO provider to avoid questionable practices.

1. Rise to the Top
How to Boost Your Search Rankings and Avoid
the Pitfalls of SEO Marketing
Chris Heiler

2. Rise to the Top
How to Boost Your Search Rankings and Avoid
the Pitfalls of SEO Marketing
1. On-Page vs. Off-Page Ranking Factors
2. Local Search Ranking Factors
3. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Black-Hat SEO

3. Rise to the Top
On-Page vs. Off-Page Ranking Factors

4. SEO is about ensuring the content on
your website generates the right
type of signals for search engines.

5. On-Page vs. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1. On-page ranking factors
Content
HTML
Architecture
2. Off-page ranking factors
Links
Social
Trust
Personal

6. http://searchengineland.com/seotable

7. On-Page Ranking Factors
1. Your website’s content
2. Your website’s HTML
3. Your website’s architecture

8. On-Page: Your Website’s Content

9. On-Page: Your Website’s Content

10. On-Page: Your Website’s Content

11. On-Page Ranking Factors
1. Your website’s content
2. Your website’s HTML
3. Your website’s architecture

12. On-Page: Your Website’s HTML
1. URLs
2. Title tags
3. Meta descriptions
4. Headlines and subheadings
5. Keywords on page
6. Images

13. On-Page Ranking Factors
1. Your website’s content
2. Your website’s HTML
3. Your website’s architecture

14. On-Page: Your Website’s Architecture
1. Can search engines easily “crawl” the pages on
your website? Do they find errors?
2. Does your website load quickly?

15. On-Page Ranking Factors
1. Your website’s content
2. Your website’s HTML
3. Your website’s architecture

16. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inbound links
Social media
Trust
Personal

17. Off-Page: Inbound Links

18. Off-Page: Inbound Links
1. Blogging
2. Guest blogging and writing
3. Local search directories
4. Business directories and other organizations

19. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inbound links
Social media
Trust
Personal

20. Off-Page: Social Media
1. Share website/blog content on social
networks
2. Include keywords in your updates
3. Pay attention to on-page elements
like title, description, images, etc.
4. Optimize images for networks

21. Off-Page: Social Media

22. Off-Page: Social Media

23. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inbound links
Social media
Trust
Personal

24. Off-Page: Trust
1. Websites with a long history are seen as more trustworthy.
2. Search engines also consider how long your domain
name is registered for (use www.Whois.com).
3. The web pages your site links to are also a strong
signal that factors into your rankings.

25. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inbound links
Social media
Trust
Personal

26. Off-Page: Personal
1. Search results are influenced by who is searching
2. Location plays a role in search results
3. Your social graph is beginning to play a larger role in
how search results are displayed

27. On-Page vs. Off-Page Ranking Factors
1. On-page ranking factors
Content
HTML
Architecture
2. Off-page ranking factors
Links
Social
Trust
Personal

28. Rise to the Top
Local Search Ranking Factors

29. 40+ SEO Experts
Participants were asked to rank the top 20 factors of a possible 104
overall ranking factors that they believe drive Google's Local Search
algorithms. Participants were asked to rank the positive factors
based on the following question:
“When Google ranks a business in its Local Search results, I believe
this is the ____ overall most important factor in those rankings.”
David Mihm

30. “Local” vs. “Universal” Search

31. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)

32. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)

33. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations (#11)

34. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)

35. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)

36. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)

37. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)

38. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)

39. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)
#9: City, State in Google+ Local landing page title (#6)

40. Local Search Ranking Factors
#1: Proper category associations on your Google+ Local page (#2)
#2: Physical address in city of search (#1)
#3: Consistency of structured citations (#11)
#4: Quality/authority of structured citations (#8)
#5: Website NAP (name, address, phone) matching Google+ Local
page NAP (#10)
#6: Quantity of structured citations (#5)
#7: Domain authority of website (#4)
#8: Owner-verified Google+ Local page (#12)
#9: City, State in Google+ Local landing page title (#6)
#10: Proximity of address to city centroid (#3)

41. Local Search Ranking Factors
Bonus:
#11: Quality/authority of inbound links to domain (#14)
#12: Quantity of native Google+ Local reviews (#7)
#14: Quantity of citations from locally-relevant domains
#15: Physical location (searcher-to-business distance)
#16: Quantity of citations from industry-relevant domains
#25: Quality/authority of unstructured citations (newspaper articles,
blog posts, etc) Quantity of these citations is #39
The impact of social signals is still pretty low. Factors like Facebook
shares, +1s, etc begin appearing in the #50s.

42. Rise to the Top
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Black-Hat SEO

43. White-Hat vs. Black-Hat SEO
•
•
•
•
•
Original content
customer-centric content
Link “earning”
Relevant guest posting
Social media
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Article marketing
Sponsored posts
Link building
Purchasing links
Link exchanges
Comment spam
Keyword stuffing
Doorway pages
Spamming social media

44. What to look out for:
1. Cost
2. Guaranteed rankings for keywords
3. Minimum number of inbound links each month
4. Meaningless reporting
5. Is paid search included?
6. Content?

45. Questions to ask:
1. Do you have experience with green industry
companies?
2. Do you have case studies? Recommendations?
3. How will you measure progress and success?
4. What will your reports look like?
5. Will you create original content?

46. Rise to the Top
How to Boost Your Search Rankings and Avoid
the Pitfalls of SEO Marketing
1. On-Page vs. Off-Page Ranking Factors
2. Local Search Ranking Factors
3. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Black-Hat SEO

47. Next Steps
Claim/update your Google+ Local Page
• http://www.google.com/places/
Get a free listings scan
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/listings-scan
Download the Local Business Directory Worksheet
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/worksheet--local-business-directories
Review how to use keywords the right way
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/your-keyword-phrase
Download this slide deck
• http://www.landscapeleadership.com/rise-to-the-top

48. Rise to the Top
How to Boost Your Search Rankings and Avoid
the Pitfalls of SEO Marketing
www.LandscapeLeadership.com
chris.heiler@landscapeleadership.com
(800) 681-9169
Chris Heiler