architecting your site for search engine performance: and we ain't talkin' just keywords -...

Optimizing Your Site For Search Engine Performance

And We Ain’t Just Talkin’ Keywords...

#10ntc.seo

Intros: :05Dottie Hodges, Northridge Interactive

SEO Strategic Components: :15Liz Murphy, RedEngine Digital

SEO Building the Right Architecture :10JoMarie Hoholik, Balance Interactive

Tactical and Technical Components: :25Eric Werner, Northridge Interactive

SEO Caring and Feeding: :20Kira Marchenese, Environmental Defense Fund

Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

2

#10ntc.seo

Who Are We?

Who Are You?- Webmasters?- Online Marketing Folks?- NPO Program Staff?- NPO Leadership?- Consultants/Vendors?

Introductions#10ntc.seo






Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

4

#10ntc.seo

SEO Strategic Components

Introduction

SEO Strategic Components#10ntc.seo

After we get done you'll be able to…


If You Don’t Optimize Your Site:

• Your boss will continue to torture you with: “Why don’t I see our site when I type in ‘x’?”

• Your brand and your online growth will stagnate and die

• Qualified visitors will go to another Web site to find info and services


Forrester Marketing Interactive Forecast, 2009-2014

• Increased spend on SEO. Investments in SEO were on the rise before the recession. But now, marketers looking for clicks at a cost much lower than paid search are joining those who return to SEO after mastering paid search programs.


What SEO is:

• Modifying elements of your Web pages for a specific search engine

• A long-term, ongoing process

• Dependent on knowledge of current algorithms and indexing obstacles

What SEO is NOT:

• Paying for listings (that’s PPC)

• A one-time, quick project

• Dependent on “tricks” (invisible type, redirects, doorway pages, etc.)


Search Engine “Friendly” or “Optimized”?


“Friendly”

• No technical issues that prevent or hinder spidering

• Logical link architecture• Unique content and title tags on every page• User-friendly naming conventions


“Optimized”

• Copy & IA driven by well-researched keyword strategy

• Design and architecture decisions based on how to best drive conversions

• Every page optimized for specific keyword phrases

• Strong internal linking beyond navigation elements

• Content updated regularly• Ability to attract links from other sources


3 Must-Haves for SEO Success

• Gotta identify your SEO goals (SEO Strategy)

• Gotta understand how a search engine “thinks”

• Gotta research how your audience searches for your information and services


SEO Strategy & Goals


“I want…”

• Awareness and authority on our contento American Diabetes Association, Children’s

Defense Fund • Grow my email or advocacy list • Increase online registrants• Generate donations, sales, leads

- Unicef, Save the Children, Dell, Zappos


Put Your Marketing Head On

• Current ranked pages• New pages


What Search Engine?

• Google or Bing?


Understand How a Search Engine “Thinks”


Get Inside Your User’s Head• Understand what they will see on a SERP• Accurate, compelling, competitive• Manage what they will see:

Page title

Relevant text pulled from page

or description

meta tag


Understand How Users Are Searching

for Your Info


What Keywords?• Marketing head back on for keyword

research o Conversions, competition

• Wrong keywords = poor quality traffic or little traffic


• Beware too broad keywords

• Type in keywords and see what comes up – does it relate to what you do?


Keywords By Goals• For donors: donation or issue keywords --

“Haiti donations,” “childrens charity”• For activists: issue/news terms – “health

care reform diabetes”, “death penalty”• For buyers/members: product terms –

“kids magazine”


Where to Find Keyword Ideas• Your own existing content, of course!• Your Analytics program

o Are there high-quality terms driving small amounts of traffic despite not being optimized? That’s low-hanging fruit!

• Your competitors’ pageso Analyze their copy and meta tags to figure out

what competitors are actively targeting• Your PPC data


Where to Find Keyword Ideas• Keyword Research Tools:

o Google Keyword Toolo Compete.com Search Analyticso Trelliano SpyFu.como SEM Rush

• Search Engines’ Related Searches Suggestions


Tips• Your brain is the most powerful keyword

research tool … don’t over-rely on softwareo Before you rush to a tool, do a lot of brainstorming the

old-fashioned way• Think like a user. Don’t use jargon.• Choose terms with appropriate levels of

competition for your site• Target clusters of related keyword phrases

o What words can you put before and after your “Head” terms to create new search terms?







Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

27

#10ntc.seo

Create Your Architecture with SEO in Mind

• Who are your visitors? o Human o Computers (spiders)

• When you build your sites for humans to find, it also makes it easy for computers to find. o First - set up your site architecture so

that it's organized for humanso Then - label it so that you

incorporate keywords that people use search engines to look for.

Building the Right Architecture#10ntc.seo

Keywords in Your Labels

Labels Matter ... • Use keywords when possible• BUT ... don't make it awkward

Navigation is key • One of first things search engines search • Incorporate keywords at all levels


Keywords in the Navigation


Human versus Computer Factors

• Remember ... Search engines are a means for human visitors to find you

• Most important part of pages for search engines aren't always the same for peopleo Page Title

People don't often noticeVERY important for search engines

o Keywords - What people are looking forUse in navigation, titles, headings will help human visitors scan and find what they are looking for







Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

37

#10ntc.seo

On Page Factors Simplified

TitleH1ContentLinksImages

Tactical and Technical Components#10ntc.seo

Off Page Factors Simplified

Authority PageRank LinksTrust


When Good Pages Go Away

If You Were A SpiderWhat Would You Think?

A) Must Be ImportantB) I Wonder If It Moved?C) Disregard


Canonical Pages

Search Engines HATE Duplicate Content

•Preferred Solution: 301 Redirect

<script runat="server">private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e){Response.Status = "301 Moved Permanently";Response.AddHeader("Location","/new-page.asp");}</script>

•Alternate Solution: Canonical Tag

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.example.org" />


Preserving Value

•Passes some but not all of link equity

•Preserves some but not all of search engine rankings


SEO & SPEEDMatt Cutts of Google confirmed that they will be looking at load times and taking a site's speed into account with their ranking algorithms

Keep track by using Google Webmaster Tools


SEO & SPEED







Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

45

#10ntc.seo

• Who is your team?• What to tell them?• How to measure?

Keep it Going: After the Consultant Leaves

SEO Caring and Feeding#10ntc.seo

Who manages your web content?

Keep It Going - Your Team



Who writes your press releases?



Who blogs?


Keep It Going - But Your Team's Busy!!


Keep It Going - What to Tell Them1. FOCUS on key terms.


Keep It Going - What to Tell Them2. FOCUS on headlines.


Keep It Going - What to Tell Them3. FOCUS on links


Keep It Going - MeasureThink about timing.

photo: flickr user carbon nyc


Keep It Going - MeasureThink big.

photo: nasa.gov


Keep It Going - MeasureThink strategically.

photo: flickr user [martin]







Q&A: :15All

Session Agenda

57

#10ntc.seo

Dottie HodgesNorthridge [email protected]

Liz Murphy RedEngine [email protected]

JoMarie HoholikBalance [email protected]

Eric WernerNorthridge [email protected]

Kira MarcheneseEnvironmental Defense [email protected]

Session Agenda

58

#10ntc.seo

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architecting your site for search engine performance: and we ain't talkin' just keywords -...

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