SEO Workshop

Background• Practising SEO since 2004• Marketing background• Run one of Kent’s leading SEO agencies• Also Social Media, Content, PR

Aims• Understand how SEO works• Decode some of the jargon• Create an SEO strategy• Running an SEO campaign• Useful tools and tips• Real life examples

INTRODUCTION TO SEO

Why Bother with SEO?• More visits• More enquiries• More orders• More competitive advantage• More cost savings

Basic Fundamentals• Search Engines = Google• SEO is both an art and a science• Optimising is like following a checklist• SEO is an ongoing process• SEO overlaps with Social Media and PR

How Search Engines Work• Algorithm: set of calculations and decisions.• Spiders: software which follows links. Popularity + Content = Rankings

SEO Myth Busting• You can’t phone Google to get listed.• You can’t pay to submit your website.• Google results are not in real time.• There are no short cuts or magic bullets.

Anatomy of Search Results

SETTING AN SEO STRATEGY

Strategic Aims• Conversion Focused?

(increase sales or leads)• Visitor Focused?

(increase visitor numbers)• Keyword Focused?

(rank at the top for xxxxxx)

Keyword Research• Short Tail Search Terms

(high volume + high competition + low conversion)

• Long Tail Search Terms(low volume + low competition + high conversion)

Examples of long and short tail search terms

Current Search Terms• Ask enquirers• Google Analytics• Google Adwords• Google Webmaster Tools

Potential Search Terms• Lateral thinking• Ask web users• Competitor websites• Keyword Research Tools

Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Refine Search Terms• Check Rankings (clean browser)• Check ranking URL• Group into clusters of relevance

Choosing Targets• Cross check with behaviour/conversions• Brand/commercial aims (Trophy phrases)• Target current rankings first• Target a manageable number• How achievable within resources?• Test using PPC

Setting Targets• Phrases not ranking at all can take 1-4 months.• Phrases on pages 2-3 can reach page 1 in 2-8 weeks.• Phrases in bottom half of page 1 can reach top half in 2-6 weeks.

ON PAGE SEO

On Page SEO Helps.....Make it easy for search engines to crawl your site. ...Search engines identify what your content is about.

The Golden RuleYou’ll only get ranked for a search term if it’s in your website!

Fix Site-Wide Issues• Canonical Redirect (http:// to www)• Duplicate Content (copies of site)• Set Up Key Tools• Content Structure (page per topic)

Page Level SEO• Depth of content• Vary the search term on the page• Talk around the subject• Link in and out

http://disabledgear.com/pages/handbikes

Optimisation Pyramid....

Page Title

Content Headings, H1, H2, H3 etc

URL

Unique relevant and targeted content including keywords in Bold

Unique meta description and keywords (but not too many)

Inbound Links anchor text, internal and external

Keywords in content (but not overdone) including keyword variations

THE REST: Links in content, internal and outbound (but not too many), image alt tags

NO GO: keyword stuffing, duplicate page titles/meta data, meaningless headings, headings as images, duplicate content, no links

Optimising Titles and Headings• Include Search Terms• Most important words first• Unique to every page• Not just a list of keywords• Vary use of search terms

Review examples – SEO site audits

OFF PAGE SEO

Backlinking• Backlinks are seen as votes of popularity and signs of credibility.• Quality and relevance, not quantity.• Backlinks can be manipulated to boost rankings of specific search terms.

Backlinking campaigns should:• Increase the number of links to your website or web page.• Insert relevant search terms into links to improve your rankings.

Note: The best backlinking campaigns can use old fashioned marketing techniques!

Where can we get links from?

The Backlink Pyramid....Wikipedia, .

ac, .gov

Key media; BBC, Times, Telegraph, Mail etc

Social Media shares/follows/likes on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest

Blogs; Blog Comments, Sponsored blog posts, Blogroll links, reviews/real blog posts

Quality content hubs; Squidoo, HubPages, some good quality article sites

Quality Social Bookmarking sites; Stumblepon, Reddit, Folkd

Good quality online directories i.e. Local/regional directories, industry specific directories, paid directories

THE REST: mid quality article sites, other social bookmarking sites, niche blogs, PR and news sites

NO GO: paid blog networks, link circles, reciprocal links, link farms, low grade directories, footers of client sites, paid links, high cost PR sites

Social Media• Social Signals now part of algorithm• Encourage Likes, follows, shares• Offers, promotions, competitions• Link social media output to your target terms/pages• Niche social sites like Pinterest

PR• Request links from media publishing your stories• Publish stories to news websites• Target bloggers as well as traditional media

BlogsLinks from blogs have high SEO value• Offer guest blog posts• Comment on blog posts with search term in your name• Request reviews or ‘sponsored posts’• Flatter via social media• Create your own blogs

Content• Write or commission unique content• Link content to target search terms• Place content on articles sites and content hubs

Link Requests• Say why the backlink adds value for their website users• Low success rate

TOP SEO TOOLS

Free Tools• Google Analytics• Google Webmaster Tools• SEO Moz Site Explorer

Paid Tools• SEO Moz Pro

NEED HELP?Josh WhitenWebscape Marketingjosh@webscapeseo.com07850 093471