WebFuel: SEO for Non-Techies 2014 (Canadian Version)
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This document discusses search engine optimization (SEO) concepts for non-technical audiences. It notes that SEO involves getting organic search results from search engines like Google by optimizing websites and content to be relevant for searchers. Key topics covered include how search engines work, the importance of keywords and content, Canadian-specific SEO considerations like targeting Google.ca, and tactics for technical on-page and off-page SEO implementation. The document emphasizes thinking about search from the searcher's perspective to improve rankings, clicks and conversions.
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WebFuel: SEO for Non-Techies 2014 (Canadian Version)
- 1. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , IABC Ottawa | March 26, 2014 SEO FOR NON-TECHIES Canadian Version 2014
- 2. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What is Canadian Search (SEO)? Let’s get started… Think with WebFuel: For Marketers & Communicators
- 3. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What is Search Engine Optimization, Really? Search Engine Optimization Definition: Getting results from Organic Search Note: WebFuel’s Definition
- 4. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What is Search Engine Optimization, Really? Search Engine Optimization Definition: Getting results from Organic Search • The listings (or results) that appear on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) without paying to be displayed • It is determined by relevancy based on search terms • Search Engines always display organic results Note: There are two sides to SEO - technical & non-technical
- 5. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , How Search Works Behind the Search Box Note: Search begins with the Search Box
- 6. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , How Search Works Behind the Search Box Source: How Search Works by Google 1. Crawl 2. Index 3. Display (based on Algorithms – spam removal)
- 7. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What Matters Note: EVERYTHING that a Search Engine crawls & indexes matters
- 8. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What Matters Note: EVERYTHING that is displayed on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) matters
- 9. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Canadians love the Internet. 86% of Canadians are online.
- 10. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Canadians are leaders in Internet usage
- 11. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Canadians love to shop online.
- 12. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Search Engines are often used even if the web searcher knows your website address. Where does Search begin? 1. Search Engines 2. Branded Websites 3. Branded Apps
- 13. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Search trends in Canada. Category: Health. Search Type: Web
- 14. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian. Why is Canadian Search Different? Note: Canadian Search is not the same as American Search. Or Search in other English speaking countries. • Canadians search via Google.ca (Google Canada) • Google.ca has its own Canadian oriented index • Google.com searches within Canada redirect you to Google.ca • Canadians search in English & in French • Canadian spelling is different as well
- 15. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Canadian Note: Not always relevant to Canada
- 16. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Search Note: The devices people use to search are different.
- 17. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Search Note: Search by voice is different
- 18. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Search Engines Note: Search Engines matter.
- 19. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Search Engines Note: Google ranks number one – and number three.
- 20. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think SERPs Note: Brand matters.
- 21. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think SERPs Note: SERPs differ depending on search type
- 22. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Website Note: There are two types of visitors to a website. People & Spiders.
- 23. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Domains Note: Domains matter.
- 24. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Domains Note: New domain name extensions
- 25. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , What is THE Canadian Domain Name?
- 26. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Geographic Targeting Note: The World Wide Web is global
- 27. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Geographic Targeting • Canada (Country) • Canada (National & Major Cities) • Ottawa (Local) / Ontario (Province) • North America (Canada & USA) • USA (but located in Canada) • English Speaking Countries • French Speaking Communities (Canada) • Worldwide Note: This MUST be defined before you launch your Organic Search Campaign
- 28. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Geographic Targeting (Maps) Source: GeoDigital - Spatial Search
- 29. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Content Note: Ensure that your content can be crawled & indexed (technical side) • Content rules (always has - and always will) • Write for target audience (people first - SEs second) • Quality, unique & relevant content is a MUST! • Content has many formats (think search / content marketing)
- 30. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Keywords • Branded / Non Branded keywords • Organic keywords are different from paid keywords • Keywords differ depending on search device (mobile) • Typed keywords differ from those via voice search • English keywords should not be translated into French • Meta keywords should be ignored (Google ignores them) • Keyword research is a MUST! Note: SEO means optimizing for people who use search. And… searchers intent.
- 31. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think SEO Tactics Note: There are two sides to SEO implementation - on-page & off-page
- 32. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , When Things Go Wrong Really Wrong. • Rebranding (name change) without taking Search Engines into consideration • Building a website without taking Search Engines into consideration / Website redesign without addressing the Search Engine index • Using US or UK search / keyword data (instead of Canadian) • Translating English keywords / content into French • Violating Search Engine Guidelines (results in penalties) Note: Can hurt your rankings, clicks & conversions
- 33. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , When Things Go Wrong Really Wrong. • Drastic drop in web traffic (change in algorithms) • Disappearance from the Search Engine Index (penalty) Note: Clean up is time consuming - and expensive. Graphic: Search Engine Land
- 34. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , When Things Go Wrong Really Wrong. Note: An unbiased SEO Site Audit is recommended. Graphic: Search Engine Watch
- 35. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Rankings • Vary from search engine to search engine • Driven by personalized search • Affected by competition • Impacted by language (En/Fr) • Driven by keywords & search query types • Impacted by various SERPs layouts Note: Ranking Factors 2014
- 36. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Rankings Source: Search Engine Journal
- 37. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Clicks • You have to rank in order to get the click (first page) • Clicks drive web traffic (not rankings) • More clicks on organic search results (than ads) • Organic clicks are important in terms of trust • .ca gets more clicks by Canadians Note: Click Factors 2014
- 38. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Conversions • Web traffic volume (Publishers) • Purchases (eCommerce) • Inquiries / lead generation (Businesses) • Accessing information / forms (Government) • Online donations (Charities) • Membership sign ups (Associations) Note: Web Conversions 2014
- 39. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Think Measurement • Measure Organic Search as a channel • Use web analytics (Google Analytics / Website) Note: Measure what matters
- 40. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Get Informed… 1. Learn industry-related terminology 2. Determine if source of information is relevant to Canada 3. Get up-to-date on the domain industry in Canada 4. Understand the basic difference between language based searches (English & French) 5. Learn about Search Engine options in Canada 6. Measure Search Campaigns (Search Analytics) 7. Play by the rules (Search Engine Guidelines) What can you do? Note: SEO takes a lot of time – and hard work! But it’s a great long term strategy.
- 41. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , SEO is not dead. It’s changing… • Search Engines still drive qualified web traffic • Search Engines are getting better at filtering spam (YA!) • Tactics that are NOT considered best practices are dying
- 42. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Got Questions?
- 43. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , Join Us • Engage with WebFuel on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook • Subscribe to the WebFuel Blog “Get Found on the Web” • Follow our series “SEO Wednesdays Canada” • Attend the Ottawa Search & Digital Marketing Meetups Upcoming WebFuel Presentation SEO for Techies 2014: Canadian Version Geek Girls April 24, 2014
- 44. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , About WebFuel • Search Results Agency (SEO, PPC & GA) • Full Service Search Engine Optimization • Clients are Canadian Brands • Work with In-house Marketers & Agencies • Expertise in Canadian Search (Organic Search) • Specialize in SEO Audits, Consulting & Support • Google Credentials (Trusted Google Partner) • Founded in 2004 • Located in Ottawa, Canada
- 45. T h e S e a r c h R e s u l t s A g e n c y . G e t R a n k i n g s | G e t C l i c k s | G e t C o n v e r s i o n s M a r c h 2 6 , WebFuel is a Search Results Agency Presenter: Les Faber e: info@webfuel.ca | p: 613-692-1030 | w: WebFuel.ca|
Editor's Notes
- Thank you Samantha for the introduction. I’d also like to thank IABC Ottawa for asking me to present. This presentation is part of the “Learn with WebFuel” series. I will be sharing with you what Canadian brands should take into consideration in terms of Search & SEO in Canada. And… what you should THINK about.
- Before we begin… How many of you are from Government? Show of hands. Not-for-profit? Businesses? Agencies? Marketers? Communicators? How many of you have done SEO? This presentation is about understanding SEO from a Canadian perspective – and developing strategy (not tactics). I will be posting this presentation on the WebFuel website (WebFuel.ca).
- Question: What do you think is the definition of SEO?It varies depending on the source. This is WebFuel’s definition. SEO is not NEW. SEO is not dead.Sidenote: Search result for “search engine optimization definition” in Google: Noun. The process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by the Search Engine. Outdated. Period.
- In terms of organic search, there are three major factors. You don’t pay to be displayed. Relevancy is key. And… there are always organic results.A SEO (Search Engine Optimizer) is responsible for results from Organic Search
- Question: How many of you Search? Do you ever think about what happens behind the Search Box? Stop – and think!
- Search engines’ three major functions are crawling & building an index, and providing answers by based on relevancy & serving results. And…fighting spam. Show bullet pointsCrawling & Indexing is on the technical side of SEO. First you need content on the web (i.e. a web page). The SEs crawl your page (think of it like accessing it). Then it is indexed (like photocopying). This means it’s in the SE index. The third component relates to display (if it is relevant). Algorithms are used to determine relevancy – and ranking. Google has over 200 factors.Fighting spam is all about keeping search results relevant for the web searcher. It is important to understand what the SEs consider spam. To learn more about this, visit Google Inside Search (http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/) or just Google “How Search Works”.
- From a SEO perspective, everything that a SE crawls & indexes matters. Websites, blogs, presentations, videos, images, news, maps, social media, directories, reviews etc… Note: Some of these examples are uniquely Canadian.
- This is a search engine results page for a search query on “Canadian Tire” – a popular Canadian brand. Question: What is Google displaying? What is the source? Volunteer? Google displays their website (with sitelinks & a search box), map (with store locations), knowledge graph (info pulled from Wikipedia), news (CBC, TO Star & CTV News), Google+ (and reviews), Foursquare, Twitter & Wikipedia. Knowledge Graph is fairly new – and we are current testing out it’s impact. (No video).
- Did You Know: The World Wide Web went live to the public in 1991. As of Jan of this year, 86% of Canadian are online. According to CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) among its G8 counterparts Canada ranks 2nd in Internet penetration just behind the U.K. 98% of Canadian Internet users access it the every day.
- According to comScore new released data, Canadians visit more web pages per month than any other country. The highest in the world. Yes – we rank number one!
- The Canadian Press recently published an online poll conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers (Feb. 27, 2014). Guess what? Almost half of Canada’s Internet Users are shopping online at least once a month. Good news for eCommerce in Canada.URL: http://globalnews.ca/news/1176897/half-of-canadians-shop-online-once-a-month-poll/Fact: Canadian businesses are embracing online shoppers – but still have a long way to go.
- Question: Where do Canadian start their search? Top three? Anyone? Question: Does this surprise anyone?In the early days of the web, people would launch their web browser (like Alta Vista or Netscape / before Google)– and type in the domain name (web address) for websites. Now they often use Search Engines. Why? It’s quick!Sidenote: If you have been tracking your organic keyword data via Google Analytics (or other web analytics program) in the past few years, you would likely have found your website address (and variations thereof) Example of branded apps – Facebook on your iPhone
- Question: What are Canadians searching for? Let’s take health as an example. What is the top search?This chart is based on health (search type web – everything) over the past 90 days. “Top” relates to current most popular searches. “Rising” are searches are that are quickly becoming popular over a given time period as compared to preceding period. Source: Google trends.Always dig deeper - and analyze the data. Why are Canadians searching on the term “cancer”? What about “depression” – is this a seasonal search term?FYI: parnterbpage imps - is a new blogging innovation not relevant to the health field.
- Canadians are different than Americans. Surprised? Show bulletsWe have our own search engine Google Canada (Google.ca) & our own Google index. Our spelling can be different (sometimes) - and we have to think about French searchers (if relevant / your target audience). Sidenote: Google.com searches from within the USA access a separate indexAdditional Information:Google.com searches within Canada redirects to Google.ca (unless you are searching via a proxy).
- There are lots of sources for good (credible) information related to Search (SEO). They are however not Canadian. And…not always relevant to Canada. In terms of Google, the Search Engine usually rolls out new changes (BETA) in the US - and then to other English speaking countries (including Canada). So when you read anything related to SEO, ask yourself the question – is it relevant?
- In the early days of the Internet, people searched from their desktop computer. Period. Now they search via different devices. Desktops, laptops, tablets, smart phones. It likely goes without sayings but understanding what devices people use to search is critical. Did you know: 6 out of 10 Canadians access the Internet via their mobile device.
- Google has a “search by voice” feature. It’s also commonly known as “Conversational Search”. You simply use your voice to search (instead of the keyboard) - and get search results. The BIG difference of course is rather than a keyword phrase it tends to be in a question format (full sentence). This is of course is a different search query type.i.e. “question / answer” format - Conversational Search (vs. contextual search).Not new. Google rolled out this functionality a few years ago. You can also get answers by voice.On a Sidenote: Google has a fairly new search algorithm known as Hummingbird (AKA Conversational Search). This is not related to addressing spam but to improve the web searchers experience – in terms of displaying better search results. In short, Google is getting better at understanding the search intent of the user and producing matched search results (quickly &) with more accuracy. In the past, two queries with the same meaning that were typed out different would produce different results. In other words, the unique URLs (web addresses) have decrease significantly.When you get some time, try it yourself!Sidenote: If using Chrome (and you have a microphone), you can hear the answers to your questions.Additional informationSummary: Hummingbird has resulted in an overall decrease in diversity in search results, and this is particularly true for keywords with similar semantics. In short, Google is getting better at understanding the search intent of the user and producing matched search results quickly & accurately. Source: SearchMetrics.Contextual Search (use search by voice)- Search Term “famous Canadians” Conversational Search (Semantic Search)- Search Term: Which Canadians are famous? Compare the SERPs
- Think Search Engines.What are the top Search Engines in Canada? Who is number one? Anyone? Which search engine is the second most popular in Canada (Bing) . And… why? Bing is generally used by PC users that have the SE installed on their computer by default (they tend not be as web savvy). Did You Know: There are 1000s of search engines in the world. 16% of daily searches are new (Google)
- Hitwise Canada just released this data about Search Engines. Google ranks number one – and number three. You will note that most Canadians use Google Canada (rather than Google.com). And… if you define YouTube as a Search Engine. It ranks number #2 in Canada. More popular than Bing. Google owns YouTube.
- Thinks SERPsThis search was done on the brand name “NAC”. Ideally you should dominate the first page of search results. Note the organic – and the ad. It’s often been said that your brand is what Google says it is. That is worth thinking about.Sidenote: Check out the meta description (require SEO )& the typo in the ad.Check out how your brand displays in the SERPs. It’s often the first interaction with your brand.
- This search was done on non-branded keywords “Canadian Flags for sale”. Note the different SERP layout.
- Think WebsiteThe screen capture on the left is what people see. The one on the right is a search engine view. Note the difference.
- Think DomainsWhat does your domain say about you? Country code (.ca) tells Search Engines you are Canadian. It also tells web searchers the same thing. This will have a impact on both rankings & clicks. The .com stands for commercial – may or may not be targeting Canada. The .gc.ca is related to government in Canada. It has lots of credibility with the Search Engines. The .org stands for organization (used by charities – sometimes). The .on.ca was popular in Ontario – not any more (dated). And… the .co is the country code for Colombia. It is however becoming popular as an alternative to the .com – meaning Company (open registration). It requires geo-targeting just like the .com if you are targeting Canada. Domain authority is important in terms of ranking.Question: How many of you use a .CA for your primary website? .com? Others?What does your domain say about you? Test it out. Give someone (who doesn’t know your brand) your domain name (just on a piece of paper) – ask them to tell you about your brand.More informationDid You Know: There are more than two million .CAs registered. For more information, check out CIRA Factbook 2014Other Facts: The first Country codes top level domains names were launched in 1985.2 million .CAs registered by 2012. It will be 27 years old this MayWho registered the first .ca? The University of Prince Edward Island in 1988.
- What is coming…. It will matter to SEO. Note: The .quebec – relevant to Canada. If you are targeting Quebec, you can register this domain extension as well as your brand name using French language characters (accents etc…).Facts: .museum was launched in 2002 – others are rolling out in 2014..
- Canada.ca is used by the Government of Canada. It was launched on December 18, 2013 – and it will house 1, 500 Government of Canada websites by 2016.
- The World Wide Web is global. Image Credit: Trovit (http://about.trovit.com)
- Geo-targeting varies greatly. So do the SEO strategies. Here are just a few examples…
- What’s coming? Google is investing greatly in maps – and the new changes will be rolling out in Canada in approx. the next two/three months (6 months for the phone version). Google is merging Google Maps and Google Earth. We predict that it will have a great impact on organic search. Location searches are estimated at 85%. Additional InformationThey have recently launched GME (Google Maps Engine). Spatial search is defining a location (i.e. Byward Market) – and points of interest surrounding that location (i.e. restaurant). Including reviews, photos etc… Directions on how to get there… We are in the testing phases.
- Question: How many of you create content? Here are a few points – likely no surprise. Never ever write only for SEs. However you must ensure that they know who you are, what you do & where you do it. Additional informationGoogle recently release a scraper report. You can report scraped content ranking above or instead of the original. Scraping: Taking content from other places on the web and publishing it on your own site. Relevance: When dealing with Search Engines, the term “relevance” describes the extent to which the content of a website corresponds to the search term used. The relevance for a website will appear in the search results for a given search term. Source: Searchmetrics.
- A SEO must understand keyword types, research & selection as well as search analytics. Not all keywords are the same. They differ greatly. Here are few points… Show bullets.Branded keywords – are your brand name (and variations thereof). VS non-branded keywords – don’t know you but are searching for the products you sell or services that you offer (for example). High volume search terms are expensive to achieve and generally have low conversations rate. The kind of people who search for short-tail are generally not very Internet savvy. Think – are these really the people you want to reach?
- The periodic table of SEO success Factors was produced by Search Engine Land (needs some updating). Colour codes: Green is good. Red is bad. 3 carries the most weight. No single factor guarantees top rankings. It takes lots of work. TIP:Tactics without strategy doesn’t work
- Rebranding: You can change you logo, colours etc… when rebranding. No impact on SEs. But when you change your brand name – SEs matter. Especially for a brand that has lots of content in the index. Websites: This is surprising to me that website are still being built without consideration of SEs. This is 2014! The other issue we still see two often is website redesign – and the SE index is ignored. If you are targeting Canada – use Canadian data. Period. We are not the same as the US or UK.Translation is simply a lack of understanding the difference between Anglophones & Francophones (we’ve blogged out this topic)
- Show bullets.How does this happen? The SEO implementation did not adhere to the Search Engine Guidelines. Black hat techniques. Or techniques that are considered spam by the Search Engines – algorithms changes to address this (i.e. Penguin / Panda). Image Source: Search Engine Land. Penguin – targeted towards web spam. Panda – related to quality content on the web (improvement)
- Question from Laura: If you were planning revising/refreshing your website, what types of things would you keep in mind to ensure you build / better your SEO and not dismantle what you currently have.Audit (what is working / what is not working). Both technical & non technical. Data analysis is important.Strategy (SEO plan) – always address what will have the biggest impact.Tactics (implementation)Measurement (baseline report is where you start)Graphic Source: Search Engine Watch.
- Remember that rankings bounce up and down. The key is to get good rankings (first page of search results) to get visibility. Drastic drop in website rankings can be a results of a Google Penalty (either manual or algorithm). Ranking reports are dead (have been for a number of years). Focus on KPIs.
- PPC accounts for just 6% of total search clicks (According to research from GroupM UK carried out with Nielsen in 2012). Likely higher today but web searchers still trust the organic results more.
- Conversion vary depending on industry, business goals & mission statement. It’s important to define them – and measure them. What is a web conference for your organization?
- Hire a web analytics expert. One with credentials – and verifiable client references. The foucs should be on KPIs (stands for Key Performance Indictors).Graphic Source: Search Engine Journal.
- Where Canadians start their search / search terms / trends). And… learn how to think like a web searcher
- “SEO (still) isn’t dead and won’t be until the day that SEs can no longer drive significant traffic to website (which won’t be for along, long time, if ever). SEO is changing primarily to SEs are getting better at enforcing their own rules. What is dead – or dying is short cuts or tactics that are NOT considered best practices”. Search Engine Watch.
- All questions are good questions. Everybody understanding is different.If you prefer, I can give you real life examples based on Canada (what we have discovered via our SEO audits, inquires we have received (challenges in search) as well as search issues). What SEO cannot doIt cannot save a failing business. Products that don’t work. Services that nobody cares about anymore. Information that is not relevant (to web searchers).Provide a quick fix. SEO takes time. From a search perspective, the PPC (Google ads) is likely a better strategyWork in a silo. It requires client involvement. You need to be working together.When Things go wrong, really wrong! An independent school in Canada, had their website build by their print company. The goal was to improve enrollment (this was critical has boarding was their bread & butter). In other words, a global recruitment tool for new students. They spent over $100,000 on this new website. What happen? The opposite of what they expected. Inquires were down. Enrollment was down. Way down. I was hired to do a SEO Site Audit. The result? Search Engines were not taken into consideration during the build. Not only did they site not work in getting visibly from a global perspective (no geo-targeting) – the major of the website could not be crawled by the SEs. A law firm rebranded. Rather than working under one brand – they built four brands (for the four types of law services). Each had their own name, logo, phone number & website. The expectation was that inquires would improve. What happen? Inquires went down (except for offline marketing). Why? No consideration of what was in the SE index. Their biggest online competitor was themselves. Search Engines were confused – it hurt their rankings – and of course traffic to their website(s). Hiring a US agency when you are targeting Canada. We have many, many examples of their scenario. Bottom line – our audits revealed that they were depositioned in a Canada search (remember we have our own index). Most of it was related to link building / other off page tactics – or strategies that work in the US but not in Canada. This of course is a problem when you offer a service in Canada only – and not in the USA.Content. Yes content rules. Another example. This company considered it’s self as number one in their geographic location. They had been around for 30 years. The website however wasn’t generating any leads. Their GA data show few visitors to the website (red flag). They were told content rules. They made a major investment in new content. What happened? Visitors to their website didn’t increase. Why? Again – website that was built without taking SEs into consideration. How people search. What was relevant to the target audience. No geo-targeting etc…This is an example of what happened to a Canadian charity. Like most charities, one of the primarily goals on their website was to drive online donations. They worked well for many years. Last year, donations were down. Way down (almost 80%). They could not determine the problem. What happened? They eventually discovered that in a search for their brand name in Google, their listing had a warning – this site may be comprised. The web developer was puzzled. We were called in to address this search issue. It was an honest mistake. Changes made by the web developer that violated Google’s Guidelines. We were able to resolve this issue within a few hours.