laura kempke senior vice president schwartz msl boston ... · 9if you aren’t using social media...

DEMYSTIFYING SEO

Laura KempkeSenior Vice PresidentSchwartz MSL Boston

@laurakempke

PR News - Social Media Summit - #prnsocial

PR tactics that affect SEOLinking techniques that may boost SEO …… but fantastic content is more importantSharing content via social media adds visibilityTracking progress and measuring success

Topics We’ll Discuss


What Can Weigh Down Your Search Rankings?Some things PR can’t control

Website technologyURL structurePage load speed

Coding errorsSite ageHeavy use of technologies like FlashExclusion of a site map


Other Factors Positively Impact SearchAnd they’re within PR’s control

Use of keywords—prominence and repetition of terms people really useHigh-quality, fresh web contentLinks from authoritative websites (e.g., media sites)Popular social media content that includes links to the siteConsistency

We can impact:

On-page SEO = factors internal to site Off-page SEO = link-building


Terms people really use when searchingIf a list doesn’t exist, create one

Google Analytics—Go to “Traffic Sources” section to try to see what terms bring people to your website; exclude paid search and branded termshttp://adwords.google.com and other tools will let you explore keywords and understand how competitive it will be to rank for them

Keywords: Research and Use ThemBut don’t let them get in the way of good writing

http://adwords.google.com/


Videos and webinarsImagesPresentations and image galleriesArticles and white papersBlog entriesInfographics and illustrationsCartoonsCase studies and profilesSurveysNewslettersPodcasts and audioNews releases

Content: Make it Compelling and Shareable


In online content, include keywords in links to your site“Business phone systems can help employees save time” vs. “click here for information about business phone systems”

One to several words, not long phrases or sentencesGo beyond the home page to link to second- and third-level pagesLink within your site, or between your blog and site

Linking: Use Anchor Text to and Within Your Site

http://www1.digium.com/en/products

http://www.kcdiy.com/diy/products/Shop-Towels.asp


Outstanding content encourages linkingOlder tactics, such as getting into online directory listings and commenting on blogs, can help, but they shouldn’t be the core of your strategy

Google frequently updates its algorithms, seemingly to deemphasize anything other than compelling new content

Links in media coverage and from .gov and .edu sites can be some of your most valuableAsk partners for links Steer clear of consultants who say they can get hundreds or thousands of links quickly

Linking: Get Links from High-Authority Sites


People sharing your content, with links, on social sites increases its authority in the eyes of Google and BingMay counterbalance traditional factors (e.g., site age)Google search results increasingly personalized, localizedGoogle+, Twitter, public LinkedIn results show up prominently in search results

If you aren’t using social media but care about search, reconsider involvement in social mediaSuperb content is shared, which has SEO valueUse your keywordsTraffic from social sites is measurable using Google Analytics

Social Media: Converging with Search

Social media directly supports search


Search Engines: Sharing Signals Content Quality

Social media directly supports search


Continuously add fresh, pertinent content to your site Extend time spent with your content Promote via other social platforms to build linksHeadlines should be short and include a variation on a keywordInvite guest posts and contribute to others’ blogsQuality links matter—don’t rush for quantity without a strategyNo comment spam

Blogging: The Foundation of Social, Content and SEO Strategies


Search engine results page rankings matter, but aren’t the only result to considerIncreased site traffic or conversions

Use Google Analytics or other analytics software for trackingInclude calls to action on landing pages If visitors aren’t spending time on your site, clicking deeper into the site or converting, your keywords may be bringing in the wrong people

More high-quality inbound linksAble to hold conversions steady, but decrease PPC budget

Determine Metrics and Measure Progress


Google Analytics: Easy, Free Place to Start


Set goalsSearch engine results page placement is important, but not everything

Work alongside online marketing team

PR may not own the company’s web presence, but you control a lot of content

Know and use your keywordsUse linksUnderstand that SEO doesn’t replace quality content creation

In Sum: Recommendations

THANK YOU

laura kempke senior vice president schwartz msl boston ... · 9if you aren’t using social media...

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