Search Engine Optimisation

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

SEO is a marketing discipline focused on growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. SEO encompasses both the technical and creative elements required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness in search engines.

There are many aspects to SEO, from the words on your page to the way other sites link to you on the web. Sometimes SEO is simply a matter of making sure your site is structured in a way that search engines understand.

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google

Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google.

There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.

Why does my website need SEO?

The majority of web traffic is driven by the major commercial search engines: Google, Bing...

Although social media and other types of traffic can generate visits to your website, search engines are the primary method of navigation for most Internet users. 

StatCounter Global Stats reports the top 5 search engines sending traffic worldwide

Google sends 90.62% of traffic
Yahoo! sends 3.78% of traffic
Bing sends 3.72% of traffic
Ask Jeeves sends .36% of traffic
Baidu sends .35% of traffic

"Periodic table" of SEO factors

http://searchengineland.com/figz/wp-content/seloads/2011/06/periodic-table-of-seo-2015.png

Common reasons why pages are unreachable

Submission-required forms

If you require users to complete an online form before accessing certain content, chances are search engines will never see those protected pages. Forms can include a password-protected login or a full-blown survey. In either case, search crawlers generally will not attempt to submit forms,

Links in unparseable JavaScript

If you use JavaScript for links, you may find that search engines either do not crawl or give very little weight to the links embedded within.

Standard HTML links should replace JavaScript.

Links pointing to pages blocked by the Meta Robots tag or robots.txt

The Meta Robots tag and the robots.txt file both allow a site owner to restrict crawler access to a page. Just be warned that many a webmaster has unintentionally used these directives as an attempt to block access by rogue bots, only to discover that search engines cease their crawl.

Links in Flash, Java, and other plug-ins

No crawler can reach them through the site's link structure, rendering them invisible to the engines and hidden from users' search queries.

Links on pages with many hundreds or thousands of links

Pages with hundreds of links on them are at risk of not getting all of those links crawled and indexed.

On-Page Optimization

Since the dawn of online search, people have abused keywords in a misguided effort to manipulate the engines. This involves "stuffing" keywords into text, URLs, meta tags, and links. Unfortunately, this tactic almost always does more harm than good for your site.

But, keyword usage and targeting are still a part of the search engines' ranking algorithms

Understanding SERP

Search engine results pages are web pages served to users when they search for something online using a search engine, such as Google. The user enters their search query (often using specific terms and phrases known as keywords) upon which the search engine presents them with a SERP.

Understanding SERP

Every SERP is unique, even for search queries performed on the same search engine using the same keywords or search queries. This is because virtually all search engines customize the experience for their users by presenting results based on a wide range of factors beyond their search terms, such as the user’s physical location, browsing history, and social settings.

Two SERPs may appear identical, and contain many of the same results, but will often feature subtle differences.

Online SEO check tools

https://auditor.raventools.com

http://seositecheckup.com/seo-audit

http://woorank.com

https://theseotools.net

Use the keyword phrase:

• In the title tag at least once.
• Once prominently near the top of the page.
• At least two or three times, including variations, in the body copy on the page.
• At least once in the alt attribute of an image on the page.
• Once in the URL
• At least once in the meta description tag.
• And you should generally not use keywords in link anchor text pointing to other pages on your site; this is known as Keyword Cannibalization.

References:

• Sheahan, J., Spencer, S., Matzan, J. (2014) Social eCommerce: Increasing Sales and Extending Brand Reach. Beijing: O’Reilly Media
• Safko, L. (2010) The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business
  Success. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons.
• https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291?hl=en
• http://www.wordstream.com