website optimization basics for local targeted websites (from #localu #austin)
TRANSCRIPT
About Tommy Landry
President, Return On NowSpecialty: Internet Marketing
SEO, SEM, Content, Social, Websites, Online Advertising, Web Analytics, Metrics
20+ Years Marketing13 Years SEO
9 Years SEM
Lifetime of Content & Social
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.2
Agenda
Basics of SEO
How Keywords Work
SEO Elements
How to Select Keywords
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.3
What is Search Engine Optimization?
SEO is the practice of enhancing your online visibility so you can be found as easily as possible via the search engines without paying for placement.
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.4
Reminder: SERP Placement
1. Local Business Listings
2. Your Website
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.5
32.8%
11.8%
10.7%
7.3%
3.5%
2.9%1.7%
0.7% 0.9%0.5%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Aim to Rank High on Page One
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Top 4 organic positions account for 63% of page 1
clicks
Source: http://blog.mediative.com/en/2014/10/06/organic-click-through-rates-2014/
Position 2014 CTR
1 32.8%2 11.8%3 10.7%4 7.3%5 3.5%6 2.9%7 1.7%8 0.7%9 0.9%10 0.5%
How Keywords Work
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.7
The Role of Keywords
Search engines operate on matching algorithmsUsers search with strings of text / numbers
Keywords are where the searches and algorithms meet
Pick keywords that real users look for (forget “ego” terms)
Combine with location when targeting:Austin Marketing Agency
Boston Pizza Restaurant
Skating Rinks in Springfield, IL11/3/2014
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8
SEO Elements
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.9
SEO Elements
On-Page
Items you control on the actual website that impact ranking
Off-Page
Who links to you and how much authority that drives for your own website
Social
Social shares and the authority of the sharer, how trustworthy you are to Google as an individual
Technical
Performance, site structure, crawler management, etc.11/3/2014
Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
10
SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.11
SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.12
SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.13
SEO Elements: On-Page
Where you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
http://returnonnow.com/2013/08/bid-adjustment-google-adwords-enhanced-campaigns/
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.14
SEO Elements: On-PageWhere you put keywords matters.
1. Page Title
2. Meta Description
3. H1 / H2 / H3 Tags
4. Body Copy (1% rule)
5. Image Alt-Tags
6. URL
7. NAP (Name / Address / Phone)
Include in Persistent Content – Header / Footer – If Possible
Employ Semantic Markup (For More info: http://schema.org)
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.15
SEO Elements: Off-Page
Crawlers Use Links To Discover ContentInternal Links: Indicate What Pages Matter Most
External Links: Historically, “Votes of Approval”
How Links Impact RankingContext + Anchor Text: Brand, Keywords, Location
PageRank / Authority (aka “link juice”) – i.e. Quality vs. Quantity
VERY IMPORTANT FOR LOCAL: NAP Info MUST Be Consistent Across the Web
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.16
SEO Elements: Off-Page
Good Link Sources for Local SEOReputable Directories & Websites
Local: Yelp, Kudzu, CitySearch, SuperPages, Manta, Foursquare
Niche Specific: Focused on Your Industry
Local Targeted Sites Information Sources: Blogs, Newspapers
City/Business Associations: BBB, Chamber of Commerce, SBA
Local Partners: Charities You Support, Referral Partners
Social Media Profiles & PagesFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Be Sure to Include Location In Bio / Description
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.17
SEO Elements: Social Matters Now
Top Variables Influencing Ranking (Search Metrics 2013 Study)
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.18
SEO Elements: Technical
Mobile Readiness
Page Load Time / Site Speed (1.5 seconds or less)
Overall Usability
Website Architecture / Ease of Crawl
XML Sitemap
Robots.txt File
404 Errors (Page Not Found) vs. 301 Redirects
Canonical Tags
Google Webmaster Tools Is Your Friend
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.19
How to Select Keywords
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.20
Keyword Research 101
Step 1: Identify Possible Topics
Step 2: Expand the ListStart Here: Google Keyword Planner
Other Research ToolsUbersuggest or Similar Online Tools
Google Suggest / Autocomplete
Google Trends
Step 3: Filter the ResultsTarget High Volume, Low Competition Keywords
Add Local Modifiers to Reduce Competition
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.21
Types of Keywords to Pursue
Source: Elliance / SEM Group under Creative Commons Attribution License
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.22
Build Keywords Into Architecture
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.23
Home Page Target Brand + Money Keyword
Category PageTarget More Competitive
Keywords
Category PageTarget More Competitive
Keywords
Category PageTarget More Competitive
Keywords
Category PageTarget More Competitive
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Detail PageTarget “Long-Tail”
Keywords
Most Powerful Page
Least Powerful Pages
Sample Architecture Table
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.24
Level Page URL Page Title Target Keywords
0 Home Page / COMPANY: Big Data Predictive Analytics Software for Oil and Gas Predictive Analytics, Big Data1 Products / Solution /complete-solution/ Predictive Modeling Software for Oil and Gas Industry - COMPANY Predictive Modeling, Oil and Gas Industry1 Coverage /coverage/ Shale Plays Coverage - Where We Operate - COMPANY Shale Play, Shale Plays2 Bakken /coverage/bakken/ Bakken Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Bakken Shale2 Barnett /coverage/barnett/ Barnett Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Barnett Shale2 Eagle Ford /coverage/eagle-ford/ Eagle Ford Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Eagle Ford2 Marcellus /coverage/marcellus/ Marcellus Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Marcellus Shale2 Permian /coverage/permian-basin/ Permian Basin Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Permian Basin2 Other /coverage/other/ Other Shale Reserves - Shale Play Covereage - COMPANY Other Shale1 Partners /partners/ Technology, Science, and Engineering Partners - COMPANY Partners2 TIBCO Spotfire /partners/tibco-spotfire/ TIBCO Spotfire is a Partner of COMPANY TIBCO Spot1 Blog /blog/ COMPANY Blog - Oil & Gas Predictive Modeling and Analytics COMPANY Blog1 Company /company/ Company Information - COMPANY COMPANY Company Information2 About Us /company/about-us/ About COMPANY - Revolutionary Sub-Surface Oil and Gas Insights About COMPANY2 Leadership /company/leadership/ Management Team - Leadership - COMPANY Management Team2 Events /company/events/ Upcoming Industry Events - COMPANY Upcoming Industry2 Press /company/press/ Press Releases, Company News Coverage, Media Mentions - COMPANY Press Releases, News Coverage2 Contact Us /company/contact-COMPANY/ Contact COMPANY Contact COMPANY
How to Audit Your Own SEO
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Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.25
How Should I Audit My Website?
You Have Two Options:
1. Learn SEO and audit everything manually (page titles, meta descriptions, body copy, image alt-tags, etc.)
2. Use a free SEO audit tool (see next slide)
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.26
Free SEO Audit Tools
On-Page Audit Toolshttp://www.seoptimer.com/
http://www.seoworkers.com/tools/analyzer.html
Off-Page Link Audit Toolshttp://moz.com/researchtools/ose
https://ahrefs.com/
Website Crawlerhttp://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.27
Key Takeaways: Local SEO
1. Pick the Right Keywords and Target Local Derivatives
2. Optimize Where You Use Those Keywords on Your Website
3. Ensure Consistent Contact Information Across the Web
4. Pursue Opportunities to Earn Relevant Links to Your Website
5. Don’t Overlook the Impact of Social and Technical Factors
11/3/2014Copyright 2009-2014, Austin Return On Now Internet
Marketing LLC. All Rights Reserved.28
Thank you!
Tommy Landry, Return On Now
Where to find me:
TwitterMe: @tommy_landryBusiness: @ReturnOnNow
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tommylandry/
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://ReturnOnNow.com