Astek Academy SEO Bootcamp 2/29/12

February 25, 2012 www.astekweb.com

By Tom Lynch -‐ VP ©2012 Astek ConsulBng LLC

SEO Bootcamp

Sponsored by:



Free WiFi Set Up

!   Network Name = CoH_Guest



What We Will Be Covering !   SEO Basics

!   The First 3 Steps in SEO !   SEO Best PracBces !   We OpBmize an ExisBng Page Together

!   15 Minute Break !   Select the “Right” Keywords for New Content !   More Hands-‐on Tools & TacBcs

!   Homework !   You can do it!



!   Tom Lynch -‐ With more than 25 years experience in direct and integrated markeBng, Tom has spent the past 15 years focusing on helping companies achieve their business goals by leveraging the efficient use of technology and the Web.

!   Tom takes pride in client saBsfacBon. He believes that through collaboraBng with clients for the long-‐term growth of their business’ and developing creaBve yet pracBcal soluBons to their goals; both the client and service provider will flourish.

!   Frequently invited to speak at naBonal industry trade shows on search engine markeBng best pracBces, he enjoys passing along the holy grail of website traffic development.

!   In addiBon to being a markeBng guru, avid golfer and fisherman, Tom is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and co-‐wrote an episode of a Comedy Central show.

IntroducBons



Who Is Astek? !   Website Design & Development

!   Search Engine MarkeBng !   Social Media ConsulBng

!   Proprietary CMS Webany !   Wordpress Development

!   App Development

!   BBB A Rated !   10 Years in Business

!   Professional & Fun to Work With !   Your Business Goals Drive our Efforts



Who are you please?

!   Your Name !   Your Company & Website

!   Your SEO Knowledge from 1 – 3 (3=ninja)

!   Using SEO now?

!  What you would like to learn today?



What is SEO? !   SEO is the art and science of aligning your website text with the search phrases that people looking for your services are typing into Google. Once these keyword opportuniBes are idenBfied through research, they must be applied to new content that is created regularly.



Paid Vs. Organic Search



SEO Value ProposiBon

!   Usually “Bemer” LisBngs Get More Clicks !  More Qualified Visitors

!  More Page Views

!  More Revenue

!  Will SEO Outperform PPC?

!   Because things change all the Bme -‐neither is a set it and forget it strategy…



First Three Steps of SEO Analysis

1.  Do you have content? 1.  What is content, Tom?

2.  Can the search engines see the content?

3.  What do they see when they get there?



What is Content? !   A website with:

  Text/Copy   Pictures

  Videos   PDF’s

  Calculators or “Widgets”   Webinars

  Links

  White Papers   Reviews

  What else can you think of?



Do You Have Content?

!   Yes – You can stay. !   No – sorry, you need to go home and create content…

!   Just kidding, you can stay. I’ll show you how to make opBmized content!

!   But first let’s talk more about you.



Can the Search Engines (SE’s) See You?

!   Do a Google Search Now Please   site:domain.com

!   Put your website’s name in place of “domain.com”.

!   Then we’ll see what’s indexed and what presents in search results.



The Minimum Google Displays !   HTML Title

!   Snippet Text or Meta DescripBon !   URL !   Also – If Possible & Relevant

  LocaBon   Site Links

  Plus Profile   Reviews

  And more…

!   Let’s see what that looks like for your site.



Next Step Requires a Plug-‐in !   Open Firefox

!   Go to www.seoquake.com !   Download the free toolbar

!   Then we’ll scan the page !   And see what gets pulled from where on the Search

Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

!   Pick a page to opBmize on your site   Not the home page just yet

!   Let’s see how it’s doing in analyBcs too

!   And opBmize it together (if needed)



Where Google Pulls The SERPs Detail



Open Google AnalyBcs

!  We’ll pick a page !   Determine what keywords get traffic

!   Determine if there are bemer words using Google AdWords Keyword tool

!   And then opBmize the page

!   Sound Good?



Open Your CMS & Let’s SEO a Page

!  We have selected the best keywords !  We’ll opBmize the Btle

!   The URL

!   The meta descripBon

!   Images, copy and links if we can

!   Let’s start with the Btle



HTML Title Best PracBces !   Unique And DescripBve Titles For Each !   Less Than 65 Characters !   Lead With Targeted Keywords & LocaBon !   <Keyword Phrase> in <City> | 50% Off Today

  Pages like home and contact us are the only pages where your company name really needs to be there.

!   Offer & Call To AcBon If Possible !   Avoid Puns, Metaphors – Literal Over Clever !   Contact Us, Home, Info, Services Do Not Qualify As Titles Alone…



URL Best PracBces !   _ (underscores) = not best !   Domain.com/?ID=1_2_3$%$#*Opu = bad

!   Not What Looks Like English = bad

!   /use-‐targeted-‐keywords-‐here.htm = good

!   /separated-‐by-‐hyphens.htm = good

!   Domain.com/logical/directory/structure/

!   Less Than 68 Characters for SERPs Display



Meta DescripBon Best PracBces

!   Snippet Text = Meta DescripBon !   Take Control

  <meta name=”robots” content=”noodp”>

  <meta name="robots" content="noydir"/>

!   Snippet -‐ Do Not Exceed 150

!  Meta DescripBons Must Be Unique for Every Page



Other Things to OpBmize

!   Images !   Copy

!   Links



Images SEO !   File-‐Name Them What They Are !   Alt tags – Include Keywords -‐ Don’t Stuff

!   CapBons Near the Photo In “Bold” Text



SEO Copy OpportuniBes !   Boldface !   Bullets !   Underlining !   Links !   Italics !   Color Change !   Visually Different Adds Prominence !   Think High School Study Tips !   Don’t Highlight Everything



Link Best PracBces !   Links are votes for the content they point to.

!   The link text is what the vote stands for. !   Use links within your site to build votes. !   Garner links from other sites.

  Request they use the keyword phrase you want to score well for in the link text poinBng back to your site.

!   It’s good to link to other sites in your “neighborhood”.

!   Let’s take a look at your inbound links.



Who Links to You? !   Do a Google Search

!   link:domain.com !   Replace “domain.com” with your website’s address.

!   More is usually bemer !   It’s OK to exchange them !   Find like mined sites

!   Being part of a community is good !   A link from CNN is golden !   A link from your 2nd cousin’s .cz personal kni|ng blog is not as valuable -‐ but sBll nice.



SEO Best PracBces – Let’s Review !   HTML Titles ≤ 65 Characters !   Meta DescripBon ≤ 150 Characters !   URL’s ≤ 68 Characters !   Copy ≥ 150 Words !   Page Weight < 150 Kb !   On Site Links < 100 Page !   Inbound Links – Inbound & Outbound Good !   Images – Labeled & “Web Sized” !   Meta Keywords – Mostly Moot !   Think SemanBcally Not RepeBBvely !   First & Last Paragraph Using Exact Targets



Tom, SEO is SO easy! Can I go now?

!  Wait, I know where to put the keywords, but how do I know what exact words to use in my site?

!   Doh! Guess I need more training…

!  Maybe Google has the answer?



Let’s Take 15 Minute Break

!  When we come back !   Next Steps

 How to select the “right” keywords for every stage of someone’s search lifecycle.

 High search and low compeBBon wins

!   See you in 15



How to Select The Right Keywords

!   Search is “Pull” MarkeBng !   They have to be words people use

!   They have to have a volume > zero

!   CompeBBon is OK

!   Build an inventory and publish

!   But where do I find these “keywords” Tom!?



Types of Search & Search Lifecycle

• NavigaBonal • InformaBonal • TransacBonal Types

• Learn • Shop • Buy • Get • Use

Stage



Google Instant Drives Search Choice

!   Saves 2 – 5 Seconds Per Search !   Suggests Search Phrases as You Type

!   Uses Common Phrases You Can Find

!   Your Rankings are Not Affected

!   Drives Search Decisions

!   How Can I Take Advantage of That?

!   First -‐ Understand the Search Stage

!   Let’s do a search and see that in acBon.



Anatomy of Google SERPs “Learning/Informational”



“Shopping”



“Buy/Transactional”



“Get”



“Use”



“Navigational”



Let’s Review Types of Search & Search Lifecycle

• NavigaBonal • InformaBonal • TransacBonal Types

• Learn • Shop • Buy • Get • Use

Stage



How Can We Take Advantage?

!   Understand the Search Stage !   Research the OpBons Via Tools

!   Create an Inventory of OpBons

!   Cra� Your Plan

!   Implement the Plan

!   I’ll bet Google has more tools for that, Tom.



Google AdWords Keyword Tool

!   Open up a browser please… !   hmps://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

!   Let’s try it.

!   Enter base keyword [EXACT]

!   Cull the list

!   Export to Excel or Google docs



Working the List in Excel



Sort Columns for Low Hanging Fruit

!   SBck with me -‐ you can do it! !   Sort Ascending -‐ CompeBBon

!   Sort Descending -‐ Local Search

!   Sort Ascending – CPC

!   Let’s Try It!



What That Sort Should Look Like



Let’s Find Out the Real CompeBBon

!   Using Google Advanced Search !   Add These Columns

  Anywhere

  Text   Title   Links

 URL



Keep Adding to the List

!   Once Complete !   Re-‐sort Columns

  Links – Ascending

  Title – Ascending   Text – Ascending

!   The lowest hanging fruit appears!

!   Try other combinaBons

!   It’s about most search & least compeBBon



The Keyword List !   Add a column for the search lifecycle !   Label each keyword with:

  Learn

  Shop   Buy  Get

 Use

!   Do you have at least one for every stage for each product?



Editorial Strategy !   Build an inventory of keyword phrases organized under

topics. [TAGS] [Lifecycle]

!   Write about the low hanging fruit in each category. !   Set a schedule and religiously publish.

!   Build your arBcle inventory, grow your traffic and authority for each topic and keyword phrase.

!   Use sharing widgets to encourage backlinks.

!   Farm for sites that are willing to link back. !   If there are less than 10 pages that come up for a

keyword phrase, you are just about guaranteed a page one lisBng.

!   You can do it!



Now What? Are We Done?

!   Not Yet -‐ You have to:  Get an editorial calendar going

  Create new content to support targets  Must use the words people are searching for   If we don’t -‐ traffic suffers.

 Where do we do that again?



The Key to SEO – “The Right Keywords” In:

!   HTML Title !  Meta DescripBon

!   URLs

!   Links to and within your site

!   The words in the copy

!   The words in the images and capBons

!   Images names, capBons & alt text



Free AnalyBcs EssenBals & Tools

!   AnalyBcs  Google AnalyBcs

 Google Webmaster Tools

!   Tools  Google Keyword Tool   SEO Quake

  RapidKeyword.com   SEMrush.com



The Hidden Key to SEO – The CMS

!   A search engine friendly CMS Allows for:   EdiBng of all the aforemenBoned elements

  Easy to author and post new content   Easy to edit and change exisBng content  Has social/bookmarking share widget

  Automates the XML sitemap   Anybody that can type should be able to do it   Allows search engines to spider the site

  That’s premy much it except for…



You Can Do It!



SEO Bootcamp

Sponsored by:

THANKS!

Tom Lynch VP ( ) Astek ( ) Reach through the web. 773.486.6666 ( ) [email protected] ( ) http://www.astekweb.com

Astek Academy SEO Bootcamp 2/29/12

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Transcript of Astek Academy SEO Bootcamp 2/29/12