This document discusses strategies for search engine optimization (SEO). It emphasizes the importance of tracking key metrics like keyword rankings, site traffic, and conversions. Content and site structure are also important factors for SEO success. Content should be relevant to target keywords and the site structure should be optimized for both users and search engines through internal linking. Regularly adding fresh content is important to keep search engine bots crawling and indexing the site. Building high-quality inbound and internal links also impacts search engine rankings.

1. Max Thomas max@thunderseo.com @ThunderMax (800) 819-6894SEO Sunday, January 24, 2010

2. Why Online Matters

3. SEO – Why Ranking Matters?Ranking = TrafficRanking for Target Keywords = SalesRecent Site Example:

4. SOM – Strategic Online MarketingThink strategically.Search and Social Media are separate channels, but they do overlap.SEO is not Online Marketing – that’s short sighted.Look at your market – sometimes Search is better than social, sometimes email, etc.Be on lookout for new media, like Mobile.SEO = turtle (steady, slow, wins in the end)Social = hare (fast, fun, unpredictable)

5. SEO & GoogleWhite vs Black Hat SEO“A lot of people think Google hates SEO and nothing could be further from the truth. SEO when done well and done in a white hat way, can make your site more crawlable, more accessible and help users find useful content on your site.”Matt CuttsSee State of the Index 2009 on GoogleWebmasterHelpYoutube.com

6. Track – Track - Track“We can’t manage what we don’t measure.”Keyword Ranking ReportsSEO Stat’s (key indicators)Webmaster Tools, site performance, etc.Site Traffic (Analytics)Call Tracking (Dynamic Call Tracking)Conversions/Sales (Forms & Purchases)Frequency:Daily: Conversions & Call TrackingWeekly/Bi-Weekly: Keyword Ranking, Site TrafficMonthly: SEO Stat’s, Site Performance

7. Max Thomas | max@thunderinternetmarketing.com | (800) 819-6894Track – Keyword Ranking ReportUse Proxy Servers Rotate to prevent Google from serving “personalized” search results, or identifying KW software.Example here fromwww.AdvancedWebRanking.com

8. Track – SEO Stat’sGI = Google Indexed ContentYI = Yahoo! Indexed ContentInb = Inbound LinksInt = Internal LinksPR = PageRankAlexa = Site Traffic ComparisonAge = Age Domain RegisteredmR = URL Rank (SEOmoz)mT = URL Trust (SEOmoz)DmR = Domain Rank (SEOmoz)DmT = Domain Trust (SEOmoz)

9. Track – Site PerformanceWebmaster Tools – this is how Google “sees” your website. Very important to be aware of this.Reference Webmaster Tools for:Crawl Errors (404 errors)Crawl Stats (how frequently G bots crawl)Site Performance (see Resources regarding PageSpeed)http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ webpagetest.org

10. Track – Site TrafficUsing Analytics, consider (at minimum):Change in Visitors (month to month)Traffic SourcesOrganic Keywords

11. Track – Conversion/Call TrackingConversions:Use Analytics for sales & “form submits”Call Tracking/Leads:Dynamic call tracking enables tracking by sourceSee VoiceStar example

12. Track – Conversion/Call Tracking

13. What Impacts RankingsSEO’s Three-Legged Stool:

14. 1. Content – Site StructureKeyword RelevancyOnpage Keyword Optimization (SEO Elements)PageRank and Navigation

15. 1. Content – Site StructureA. Keyword RelevancyStart with “Conversational Terms” – talk with customers to learn what they search for.

16. Research Keywords - research keywords and historical searches using Google’s Keyword Tool and Wonder Wheel .

17. Create Keyword Map – prioritize terms in order of importance (e.g., “conversions”), group terms by “theme” (or user experience), then merge with site’s navigation.1. Content – Site StructureA. Keyword Relevancy – Keyword Map Example

18. 1. Content – Site StructureB. Onpage SEO/Keyword OptimizationOrganize/Optimize page for target keyword(s)

19. Don’t try to rank homepage for multiple terms; target keyword-specific pages (the sub-pages)

20. Key Elements for Onpage Keyword Optimization:

21. URL

22. Title Tag

23. Description Tag (for user, not for SEO)

24. <h1> Header

25. Keyword placement close to top of page

26. Use of terms related to keyword in copy

27. Reference: SEOmoz Term Target Tool1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Primer

28. Google’s quantitative measure of a site’s “Authority”

29. PR’s influence has wavered over time; Cutts now “says” it’s important

30. Highly relevant and quality inbound links are primary determinant of PR; links help determine a site’s Authority.

31. Site Goal: Maximize the flow of PR throughout site to important pages.1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Sculpting – by Scott SmiglerPageRank sculpting is the application of rules regarding the quantity, prioritization and relevance of links on pages throughout a site to efficiently distribute PageRank. For example, suppose a page on my site has 100 PageRank “points” to pass on to the pages that it links to. I will want to be strategic about how those points are distributed rather than squander them indiscriminately.Reference: http://searchengineland.com/pagerank-sculpting-leaves-nofollowed-tags-behind-34120

32. 1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Sculpting – by Scott Smigler

33. This is our made-up page called “Page 0” with links to 35 pages: Reference: http://searchengineland.com/pagerank-sculpting-leaves-nofollowed-tags-behind-34120

34. 1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Sculpting – by Scott Smigler

35. “Page 0” has 70 PR points to share. According to Matt Cutts, each of the 35 pages it links to receives two points of PageRank. : Reference: http://searchengineland.com/pagerank-sculpting-leaves-nofollowed-tags-behind-34120

36. 1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Sculpting – by Scott Smigler

37. “Page 0” has 70 PR points to share. According to Matt Cutts, each of the 35 pages it links to receives two points of PageRank. : Reference: http://searchengineland.com/pagerank-sculpting-leaves-nofollowed-tags-behind-34120

38. 1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)Rel=nofollow

39. Google introduced rel=nofollow in 2005 so that NoFollowed links “won’t get any credit when we [Google] rank websites in our search results.”

40. This made it possible to shape (or “optimize”) the flow of PR through a site by using rel=nofollow on internal links that are secondary. Result: PR would be divided only across dofollow links

41. What changed: About a year ago, Google started dividing PR across links on a page (regardless of rel=nofollow) thus undoing SEO’s “PR Shaping”.1. Content – Site StructureC. PageRank and Navigation (Internal Linking)PageRank Sculpting – by Scott Smigler