Intro to Search Engine Optimization

an organic approach

SEO

• search engines are trying to find content
• factors
  • relevant
  • authoritative and trusted results
• but how does a SE know?
  • this week we'll go organic
  • next week we'll look at more options!

SE results Tried and True

• headline, description, URL
  • keywords and content
  • good links
    • incoming
    • outgoing
• no technical issues!
• content beyond text and webpages
  • video images maps...
  • blended results!

Keyword Distribution

• use a tool to design your site map
  • spreadsheet!  
• each page is targeted and on theme!
• • url, keyword targeting
  • 65 characters for title, 156 chars for description
  • SEO friendly
    • unique info for each page
    • no duplication
    • focus on keywords one per page
    • panda, penguin, hummingbird... ???
• a plan to evaluate if this is working!

Content Optimization

• eg: hiking in victoria
  • what does the content need to have?
  • narrative needs to be clear
  • trust, links get shared, that increases trust
• keywords and themes
  • pages need to be structured...
  • SEs need to know how your pages are structured
  • navigation clear
  • internal linking
  • SEs will crawl this
  • make sure you don't have links to pages that don't exist!

Content Optimization

• get into groups 
• scope out the site map
  • pages
  • themes

Content Types

• text
  • headings, paragraphs, lists...
• images and video
  • effective, rich
• audio, animations, ...
• mixed helps!

Optimizing...

• vanity URL!
  • concise but meaningful
  • keyword phrase in there?
  • hyphens instead of spaces and underscores!
• title tag!!!  view source...
  • entice users to click on it in search results
  • too long will not be readable, cut off!
• description
  • largely ignored but can improve SE clickthrough
  • what shows up in the listing of the SE results page!
• h1 tags!!!
  • FOCUS!!  URL, Title, headline... consistent!

Rich Media

• code of image tag
  • BOTH ARE!
  • alt text... OH! that is an opportunity!
  • src
  • use the text around the image...
  • close proximity counts
    • use microformating from schema.org

web server!

• fast, reliable
• number and type of processors, internet connections...  minimize downtime
• probably need to think about location...
  • geographic proximity is key
  • 150 milisec
  • webhosting allows to have redudancy
    • CDNs for images and videos
    • international issues...
• caching 
  • database calls are slow!
  • enable serverside caching, saved on server for subsequent views...
• secure sites rule!
  • https has priority

google webmaster tools!

• goodness, need account
• webcites you can manage
• you have to be authorized to see the domain/website
  • they need to see you do something!
• dashboard give you a ton of tools
  • can see searches and clicks you got 
  • average position you were ranked in 
  • cross reference pages with queries
  • what pages are linking to you
  • internal linking too!
  • international targeting area
  • google index area...
  • bing has tools too, need an account

Measure Performance

• cite content reports
• pageviews
  • show popular pages for date range
  • landing pages report
  • segments can be seen too!
    • organic search
    • different search engines
• pages per visit
• average time on cite
• bounce rate
  • lower is better, saw other pages!
  • inticed to dive deeper

Links!

• weighted democracy VOTES!  
• more links, more votes
• quality
  • relevant to content, thematic connection
  • food blog to recipe 
• anchor text is a good clue too!
• freshness and trends
  • links should keep growing...
  • at a normal rate!
  • fraud!
• don't try to trick the system!
  • penalties can haunt you...
  • paid links often fail
  • drop you from index if overt!

External links

• GOOD directories 
  • make sure it is just not everywhere
  • should be reviewed
  • yahoo directory
  • industry specific in your market
• quality content
  • inspire links!
  • outreach to discover new content
  • mentioned in a popular blog
  • social media sharing
• BE SELECTIVE AND CAREFUL
  • can't get your reputation BACK!
• analyze backlinks of the competition!!!! 

Ecommerce

• how does your product solve their problems...
• interactive features
  • layout and generate content
    • wardrobe
    • housing
• images are key
• loyalty deals
  • coupons
  • contests
  • crazy deals lost leaders

local search

• victoria pub
  • listings on a map
  • google maps interface
    • reviews and webcite
    • google my business
• HOW?
  • google.com/business
  • bing too  bingplaces.com
  • citations (NAP)  SEs find them, ranking
    • name, address, phone numbers
    • quality 

MOBILE

• 3 ways to look at mobile web (for now)
  • responsive web design
    • one site, desktop/mobile, "media queries"
    • different screen sizes detected
    • GOOGLE LOVES THIS!
  • can customize content for mobile
    • more to maintain, can use hybrid (phonegap)
  • separate url, can redirect users 
    • very customized!
    • totally separate website
    • tags to make sure SE can find and equate them

PERFORMANCE!

• user experience is about speed
  • don't load javascript and css before showing
  • compress css,
  • many recommendations... 
    • smaller image files
    • minify and load most important first
    • DESIGN for mobile intentions and usage
    • increase size of fonts, size of links
    • avoid flash (don't work on some devices)
    • large forms!!!  
    • tappable selectors 
    • pre-fill and check for errors
    • TRY Google Page Speed Insights

Mobile Content

• layout most important near the top!
  • address and phone 
  • telephone prefix in anchor tags (allow dialling)
• properly formated addresses
  • can be identified on a map
  • voice guided directions
• hours of operation
• people are coming to your door!!!