seo live - episode 2

Confidential and Proprietary Information


SEO LiveA Q&A with Jacob & Kavi


Today’s Agenda

● Meet the specialists

● Examples of meta tags

● Discussion on content creation

● Live Q&A


Meet the Specialists


Your Hosts

Jacob King - SEO Team Lead

● 5+ years experience in online marketing

● 3+ years at Volusion

Kavi Kardos - Senior Search Marketing Specialist

● 5+ years experience in online marketing

● 1.5 years at Volusion


Examples of Meta Tags


Test your meta tagsAn easy visual tool to test out tags as you write them

Google search for “SERP Simulator” or go to www.serpsimulator.com

Title, Description, and URL can be testedAutomatically updates a screenshot as you

type

Tip: Avoid tags that are too long!


Content Creation


What’s the purpose?Writing to address the customer’s search query

Ecommerce-focused (product or category pages)

● Detail product specifications

● Explain product benefits

● Include a call-to-action that encourages a purchase

○ “Click here to add this shirt to your cart!”

Informational (blog articles, videos, etc.)

● Explain how something works

● Add related insights

■ Care instructions, how-to, maintenance, etc.

● Written to convince further action

○ “Feel free to contact us with questions about XYZ. When you’re ready to purchase, head over to www.store.com/XYZ and see what we have to offer!”


Stay on topicSearch engines look for concise, relevant, truly useful content

Keep your end-goal in mindWhat should customers to do next?

Avoid sounding salesyCustomers are turned off by obvious

marketing messagingContent doesn’t have to sellBrand awareness & authority


Show personalityWrite like you’re explaining something to a friend

● Keeps the tone relaxed and natural

● Sounds more authentic

○ Google loves authenticity!

● Helps build a personal connection with readers


Live Q&A


Some SEO mythsCommon misconceptions to keep in mind

1. A blog on a sub-domain is bad for SEO

2. Keywords should be changed out regularly

3. Any link to your site is a good link

4. Not every site needs a social media presence

5. It’s all about ranking #1

6. Google doesn’t need our help

7. We can set it and forget it

8. Customer reviews aren’t important

9. It doesn’t matter how my site looks

10. Images don’t really matter


Myth 1:Sub-domain blogs are bad for SEO

A sub-folder would be awesome, but it’s not necessaryThe more you use a blog, the more relevant it becomes for your industry

Content calendars are great for adding regular posts to your blog

Tip #1: Share posts on social mediaTip #2: Link to your eCommerce site regularly


Myth 2:Keywords should be changed out regularly

Long-term relevancy and optimization are the keys!Leave your keywords in placeCreate new landing pages for new keywords

Aim for a sweet spot of high search volume and low competitionUse long-tail keywords rather than short ones

Tip #1: Ignore the Meta Tag Keywords fieldTip #2: Perform regular keyword research to determine what your customers are searching for


Myth 3:

Any inbound link is a good link

Links need to be from a “good neighborhood”

Should be trustworthyRelevantReputable

Links should be relevant and helpful for your users and theirs

Tip #1: Check Ahrefs.com for current inbound links

Tip #2: Research bloggers in your industry


Myth 4:

Not every site needs social media

The fastest way to connect with customersSocial media feeds are popping up in SERPs

Important for top-of-mind newsCan appear more prominently than

organic listingsDiversifies your content’s reach

Tip #1: Search Twitter for trending topics to write about

Tip #2: Use platform(s) where your customers already hang out


Myth 5:

It’s all about ranking #1

It’s about serving up focused, relevant content that answers specific questions

Being #1 is expensiveCompeting with multimillion-$ brands

Tip #1: Concentrate on traffic & revenue

Tip #2: Don’t be lured in by marketing agencies that claim they can “get you to #1 on Google”


Myth 6:Google doesn’t need any help

Search engines need relevant signals to determine what’s importantIt views webpages like a human does, searching for:

PurposeOriginalityA clear path to Step 2, 3, etc.

Tip #1: Submit your sitemap via Search ConsoleTip #2: Keep your navigation clean


Myth 7:We can set it and forget it

SEO is constantly changingYour competitors are regularly optimizingRegular optimization keeps your brand top-of-mind

Can help keep content fresh and answer new queriesLinks might degrade over time

Tip #1: Create new content regularlyTip #2: Keep up with your competitors


Myth 8:

Customer reviews aren’t important

They act as an advocate for your products or services

Search engines display star rankings in SERPs

Customer-rated products are more likely to be clicked in results pages

More than 80% of online shoppers pay serious attention to reviews

Tip #1: Send follow-up emails encouraging reviews

Tip #2: Address all reviews, good or bad


Myth 9:

It doesn’t matter how my site looks

Mobile-responsive websites are viewed in higher favor with search engines

Unresponsive sites are returned less in search results

Clean design = higher customer trustStraightforward shopping process a must

How to shop and where to go should be intuitive to customers

Tip #1: Purchase a responsive website design

Tip #2: Consider paid user tests to see what others think of your site layout


Myth 10:

Images don’t really matter

Professionally-shot photos add credence to a website

Image Alt Tags help with image-based user searches

Tip #1: Use consistent sizing and backgrounds on your images

Tip #2: Use white backgrounds without watermarks if considering Shopping Feeds


Thank YouCall our Marketing Advisors at 877-591-7006 or email [email protected] to get advice on your marketing strategies.

Regularly visit Volusion’s Webinar page for upcoming presentations and see you in two weeks!

http://www.volusion.com/ecommerce-webinars