OPTIMIZING YOUR WEBSITE THROUGH SPANISH SEO

Melanie BroemsenStone Crossing Solutions

About Stone Crossing Solutions – Who We Are

• A digital marketing agency and technology consulting firm focused on you

• 30 year history - re-launched in 2010 to take advantage of the company’s deep expertise and results-driven approach to helping clients grow their business and meet the demands of their changing marketplaces

• Focus on our clients’ business needs first, and then we choose the right technology solution to meet your current and future needs

• All of our service offerings are managed and staffed by experts with vast experience in their disciplines

• Deliver strategic and technology solutions to clients in B2B, eCommerce and the travel and hospitality industries

• Develop on scalable platforms like .NET, Ruby on Rails, Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Community Stack – a new platform and content management system for the development of websites and social communities

• We are your trusted partner for effective, affordable technology and digital marketing solutions. We look forward to growing and evolving with you!

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What you will learn in this session:

• Why you MUST have a clear SEO Strategy• The 3 key elements every site must consider when developing

and implementing an SEO program• Differences between English and Spanish language SEO• Importance of keyword research and site architecture• Best practices for SEO onsite content development • How link building improves your rankings• What role social media plays in an SEO strategy• How translation tools may affect your SEO strategy• What to expect, and how to measure results• How to participate in the Hispanicize 2011 Spanish SEO Training

Program

Optimizing Your Website Through Spanish SEO

Why You MUST Havea Clear SEO Strategy

The ultimate goal of SEO is ROI…

More Fans, More Followers, More Sales, More Revenue

Why You Must Have a Clear SEO Strategy

Nearly 2/3 of clicks occur in the first three SERPs (62.66%).

Nearly 90 % of clicks occur on the first page.

The volume of clickthroughs for lower SERPs is so trivial that for all but the highest volume search terms these positions will generally yield little or no benefit to site owners (obviously some niches will prove to be exceptional). – Red Cardinal, SEO Black Hat

What does this mean?

Your SEO strategy needs to focus on driving conversions at the keyword/page level.

• Choose keywords based on their ability to convert and generate revenue at all phases of buying/conversion cycle

• Develop success metrics based on conversions and revenue generated

• Must be better than your competitor.

Why You Must Have a Clear SEO Strategy

3 Key Elements of an SEO Strategy

3 Key Elements of an SEO Strategy

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All 3 Key Elements must be present for a successful SEO Strategy.

1. Technical

2. On-Site

3. Off-Site

Differences Between English & Spanish Language SEO

Differences between English& Spanish Language SEO

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The Best Practices of Search Engine Optimization are pretty much the same, whether you are working in Spanish, English or another language.

• Where you may find differences:• Keywords• Geo-location• Search Engines

Importance of Keyword Research& Site Architecture

Importance of Keyword Research& Site Architecture

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Keyword ResearchUtilize tools like Keyword Discovery (best) or Google Keywords to learn what keywords are being searched,

which have the most volume, and which are the most competitive.• http://www.keyworddiscovery.com • https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Est. # searches per

month

What is harder to rank for?

BROAD KEYWORDS:• hispanic• latino• widgets

Balanced• hispanic social media• latino social media• blue widgets

Broad keywords deliver high traffic, But typically deliver fewer conversions

Balanced traffic and conversions

Long tail keyword deliver less traffic, But typically have higher conversionRates.

Importance of Keyword Research& Site Architecture

LONG TAIL KEYWORDS:• hispanic social media agency in miami florida• blue polka dot widgets for sale in los angeles

Importance of Keyword Research& Site Architecture

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Keyword Mapping & Site Architecture

Use Broad Keywordson high level pageslike homepage & categories

Use Long Tail Keywords on deeper level pages like blog posts & product pages

Importance of Keyword Research& Site Architecture

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Keyword Mapping & Site Architecture

PAGE PLANNED KEYWORDS w/ volume

Est. Monthly searches from keyword research tool

Best Practices of SEO Onsite Content Optimization

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

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Your website has 2 target audiences:– Search Engines– Visitors

Content is “optimized” when it provides the search engines with meaningful text, without detracting from user experience.

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Content optimization helps your site rank higher in organic search engine results for targeted key phrases.

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

Notice use of keyword “hispanic social media” and

“hispanic pr” in title tags and URLs

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Google’s search engine algorithm considers over 200 factors when ranking websites in organic search results. Optimizing on page elements are only one (important) piece of the puzzle.

To the search engines, keyword usage is important.

To your visitors, well-written copy that helps them solve their problem is important.

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

Tips for Writing Optimized Copy

• Natural balance – Content should include keywords without detracting from readability.

• Goal oriented – Each page should have an obvious goal. Understand what goal the user has and write to help them achieve that goal.

• Human – People, not search engines, consume your products and services. Write to connect with and engage them.

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

• Develop each page around a keyword theme - Choose one primary keyword theme for each page and develop your content around it.

• Target 2 to 4 keywords per page

• Integrate your keywords into the copy - Use each keyword at least once in the copy, as prominently on the page as possible. Also use the words in the phrases independently.

• Use variations of your keywords - Use synonyms or other semantically connected terms within the page content to increase “natural” appearance and expand long tail visibility.

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

IMPORTANT: 3 Keys to On Page Search Engine Optimization

• Density – Use your keywords as often as possible, without sounding awkward. Keyword density is a percentage value based on the total number of words in your copy divided by the number of times your specific key phrase appears. In general, the more often a keyword appears in a page, the higher its density.

• Placement – Always place important keywords at, or near, the top of the page, and at the beginning.

• Proximity – Keyword proximity refers to the closeness between two or more keywords. In general, the closer the keywords are, the better.

Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

Page elements that offer opportunity for search engine optimization

– Page title– Meta tags (description & keywords)– URL– Page content– Headers & subheads– Link anchor text– Image ALT text– Tags

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Best Practices of SEO Content Optimization

Page Title

• Most important element for SEO• Each page of your site should have a unique title tag

• Best Practices– About 67 characters, try not to cut off in middle of words– Be consistent in formatting– Include site name on right– Use most important keywords, put them first– Consider what the user will read (marketing message)

Page Title & Meta Description

Page Title Tag – Clickable link that appears in search engine results

Meta Description – Short snippet of copy that appears

under the title tag

Meta Tags

• Each page should have a unique meta description and keyword tag• Debatable SEO value• Meta description is what entices users to click your listing in organic

search engine results (SERPs). Only shows in code and SERPS.

• Best Practices– Description -150 to 250 characters

• Use each keyword once• Include a marketing message/call to action

– Keywords - 2 to 4 key phrases• Use commas to separate• List in order of importance (most to least)

Page Content

• Main body of content on your page

• Consider semantics (variations, synonyms) and long tail

• Best Practices– 250 to 500 words, including headers– Include anchor text links– Use each keyword at least once– Include keyword variations– Use headers and subheads

Headers & Subheads

• Second most important element for SEO

• Written in HTML as – <h1>Main Headline </h1>– <h2> Subhead of Main Headline</h2>– <h3>Subhead of subhead </h3>

• Best Practices– Only use 1 <h1> per page– Keep headlines concise – Allow readers to skim– One idea or thought

SEO Content DevelopmentHeaders & Subheads

Anchor Text Links

• Visible text within a link is given more weight by search engines

• Internal linking strategies can be used to improve SEO

• Best Practices– Link to other pages within your site using the key phrases that are

targeted on the page you are linking to– Consider usability first– Consider navigation

Anchor Text Links

Image ALT Tags

• Search engines cannot read images so we have to tell them what the image is about

• Must have for 508 Compliance, part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities.

• Image titles are different

• Best Practices– 150 Characters (5 to 8 words)

Image ALT Tags

Using ALT tags ensures visitors using a text browser like LYNX (shown) can “see” your images and provides valuable information for

search engine spiders. It will also help them appear in

Google images, for example, for your desired keywords.

URL Structure

• Flat URLs are best

• Use keywords as file name

Tags

• Not every site uses tags• Usability Benefit - Provide a way for users to search for “grouped”

content• Use keywords, but don’t overdo it

Summary of Best Practices

• Provide a good user experience by solving the problem

• Give search engine “clues” about relevancy for search queries by targeting each page with 2-4 keywords placed in specific areas:– Code - Page title, meta description, image alt & URL– Text - Body copy, including headers & subheads, tags

• How link building improves your rankings• Popularity contest (quantity vs quality)• .edu and .gov provide most value• Look for authoritative sites to link to yours

• What role social media plays in an SEO strategy• Small effect on rankings, but look for this to grow

• How translation tools may affect your SEO strategy• Technical issues• Best to have separate posts

• What to expect, and how to measure results• No fast results (30-90 days)• Keyword ranking measurement• Google Webmaster Tools, etc.

Other Good Stuff

Internet marketing consultant with extensive experience in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Web Content Development and Social Media Marketing (SMM) since 1999. Her primary areas of expertise reside in aiding Fortune 500 and larger companies with SEO and content development activities and strategies, including on-site/off-site SEO copywriting/content optimization and online PR best practices. Her broad background, experience and strategic approach to SEO and other interactive marketing strategies has enable her to achieve impressive results with a variety of large and small brands, across diverse industries.

// Experience

Stone Crossing Solutions - SEO & Web Content ConsultantAiding small, medium, and large sized businesses to increase online visibility in organic search engine ranking through on-site/off-site content development and optimization. Also providing strategy and implementation work for online PR and social media campaigns. Rosetta – Senior SEO Consultant/Content Development TeamWas responsible for developing content strategies, creating and optimizing content, managing junior resources, tracking and analyzing results for client accounts, and training content team and clients on best practices.Karcher Group – SEO & Online PR SpecialistResponsible for SEO and online PR strategy development and execution (externally and internally).Lodging.com – Internet Marketing/PR ManagerEstablished marketing department for internet startup in the travel industry, resulting in a 300 percent net increase in sales revenue ($10/$40 million). Directed all online/offline marketing and PR activities from insight to implementation, including strategic planning.

PRSA National Diversity Task Force - Committee Task Force Leader IABC - Assistant Communications Director – Heritage Region

// Client SnapshotsSnapshot 1: Co-developed and managed offsite content development campaign that helped move client from spot 6 to top 2 result in Google SERPs for keyword “auto insurance.”

Snapshot 2: Executed local long-tail keyword SEO campaign that helped leading financial institution gain top SE rankings in key markets throughout the US.

Snapshot 3: Created and executed a 3-month online PR campaign that resulted in 300+ percent increase in new orders and a two percent increase in customer loyalty, for a total increase in orders of 16 percent. Six months into the campaign, the company was averaging a 200+ increase in new orders when compared to the same month the previous year. Link to Case Study

Snapshot 4: Conducted over 60+ SEO assessments and generated reports for clients that included a complete site analysis, market intelligence, competitive research and annual marketing strategy. Proposed strategies consistently won new accounts, and achieved measurable success.

// Past Clients• Fifth Third Bank• Marriott Hotels• Nationwide Insurance• Lodging.com (now Orbitz)• Perry Ellis• Hispanic Media Trainers (hispanicprblog.com)• Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort• Las Vegas Renaissance Hotel – ENVY• Clean Coal Technology Foundation of Texas• Moen• Jcrew• Wasserstrom

Melanie Broemsen/Strategist & Web Content Development Consultant

// Technical Competencies

Applications/Tools/Languages: Keyword research, press release and content copywriting (AP Style)/optimization, HTML, analytics software, content management systems, site architecture, AdWords certified

Q/A

Thank You

• Register for a FREE I-Pad from Stone Crossing Solutions by visiting our booth (#113) or visiting

stonecrossingsolutions.com

• FREE White Paper: The Definitive Guide to Social Media Marketing for Business

• Product Sheet: Spanish SEO – Optimize your site in 60 days!

• Product Sheet: Community Stack (Community Website Platform)

• Product Sheet: Site Core (Content Management Solution)

• Session: Introduction of Spanish SEO, brought to you by Hispanicize and Stone Crossing Solutions (session Friday @

5:00)

Contact Us:Stone Crossing SolutionsOne Independence Place, Suite 7004807 Rockside RoadIndependence, OH 44131www.stonecrossingsolutions.com

Email: Info@StoneCrossingSolutions.comPhone: (216) 524-9055Fax:  (216) 524-2594

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