Search engine optimization (seo)

SEARCH ENGINE
OPTIMIZATION (SEO)
…or…how to rank #1 with Google

Presenter
 Jason Olson, Founder – ProactiveWeb.net
 18 years as an internet developer
 14 years as an information technology engineer

 MCSE: Security, Cisco CCNP, Citrix CCA

 CIW Web Professional

© 2012 – Jason Olson / ProactiveWeb.net

Search Engine Optimization
 What is SEO
 Why should it matter to my website
 Who should be handling my SEO
 When should I address SEO
 How do I improve my search rank


What is SEO
 Search Engine Optimization
 The process of optimizing your website so that it
can be properly found by website search engines,
and thus, enable people to find your website.


What is SEO
 Asking how to rank #1 is the wrong question…
 The right question is what should I rank?
 Begin by asking yourself, in the scope of the
entire WORLD WIDE WEB, what is the
importance of my content…
 Lets look at Apple…when someone searches for
Apple, what are they looking for?
 Fruit, Record Label, Big Apple, Computer Name,
Corporation

What is SEO
 So we need to step back and look… what is
the real relevance of my website?
 Does my current website represent that
relevance?


What is SEO
 You see… Search engines are designed to
use very complex mathematical and
semantical algorithms to determine the
relevance of a website to a particular search
query…
 When I search for Apple Computer, what does the
searcher want to know? And can the engine
display relevant links to websites?

What is SEO
 When search engines were first developed,
websites were allowed to define for
themselves their relevance to a particular
subject…
 Unfortunately unscrupulous people attempted to
undermine that… and have been trying ever
since.
 And the more people ask to be #1 without first
asking “should they”… they are affective
contributing to this problem.

What is SEO
 So… in response, search engines are working
ever diligently to detect these attempts to
undermine the trust system, and put their
website on top.
 As yourself, if you sold an Apple Macintosh or say
an iPad… what sort of value would it bring to you,
as a company, to show up first, when someone
searched for iPad? That could mean millions of
dollars in revenue.

…But the question is, do you legitimately belong
above the Apple Computer Corporation?


What is SEO
 So there is this sort of Cat-and-Mouse game
with search engines and website designers.
 A simple search for “seo” or “search engine
optimization” will yield you hundreds of
thousands of pages about SEO, and a large
portion of those will also be SELLING you
services to help you rank #1


What is SEO
 And the reality is… you don‟t have to hire
someone else….
 …in fact, they will not really work permantely…
 …they are a bit like a diet pill
 …immediate results
 …but not lasting


Why should it matter to my website
 So if it is so complex, should it matter…
 Well we‟ve already discussed if you sold Apple
products the value of coming out on top…
 But… what if you‟re not an ecommerce
website? You don‟t sell products online?


 Consider this… people between the ages of
18-35:
 search 70% of the time for a website to establish
it is a legitimate business
 Are 75% more likely to search for a service they
need, than look in the phone book or ask a friend


 Also consider…
 If you‟re simply a blogger or someone providing
free information – no product…
 The more likely is someone will find your website
(after all, if you‟re providing free information, don‟t you
want people to find the information?)
 The greater value is attributed to the information you
profile
 The greater value is provided to your as the owner of
that information.

 Even think about Google…
 They started off with a product that was FREE,
they made no money from it…
 They had a product that was worth while, and
people found out about it…
 Now a company which started off with a free
service is on the NASDAQ with a market cap of
208 BILLION

 The bottom line is… your website has value –
otherwise why have one?
 And since it has value, you should maximize that
value by enabling people to find it.


Who should be handling my SEO
 So who should be handling your SEO?
 Shouldyou be hiring a firm?
 Perhaps pay one of these service companies?

 Maybe you are able to handle it?


 Let‟s brake those down a bit…
I would say that there are those business which
you see ads for, and have promises of high
rewards…
 Then there are those which provide, what I will
consider consultative services, more of a
partnership, requiring work from both you and
them.
 And then there is you using some of the tips
provided here.

 I would caution you about anyone who has
promises of great reward with little effort at a
discount price… They are like the diet pill
 Immediate results
 But not lasting


 Let me contrast that with a consultative
service, to give you a better idea on what
you‟re looking for. A consultative service
should:
 Give you realistic expectations (good results take
time, and no spot is guaranteed)
 Require both input and work on your part (they
cannot guess at what makes your website,
company, or content unique)

 While I would say that there can be value in
purchasing the services of a third party, and
there is definitely a LOT of value which can
come out of those, I would suggest you need
to start off with doing it yourself.


 They will also work with you over time, establish a
relationship and work towards steady, long term
growth.
 They will charge you a fee over time, perhaps by
hour, month or quarter.
 They will constantly be making minor course
corrections, which are empowered by objective
information.

 There is NO BLACK BOX, no secrets…
 Just like loosing weight…
 It requires eating right and exercise
 …over time…
 …and consistent attention…


 However, a large portion of what you will spend
your time and money on with a consultant can be
first done on your own without their input… Much
like getting your General Education out of the way
before going to a university…
 Doing your homework, and then if you still want to
go to a higher level, call in the professional
consultant who can help you refine things even
better.

When should I address SEO
 So just like loosing weight, the best time is
RIGHT NOW.
 Soyet out your note taking device
 And start working on it today


How do I improve my search rank
 So where do you start?
 The first thing to do is go back to the
question… what value to I bring to the internet
as a whole. If you are a mom and pop bakery
in Rural California, what relevance do you
have to the world? What would be the
appropriate context for your business?


I would suggest that wanting “best blueberry pie”
is probably not what is really relevant to your
business.
 Unless of course you sold nationally or internationally
 But perhaps
 “coffeeshop in Redding”
 “blueberry pie in Redding”
 etc


 First, establish how you want to be legitimately
found.
 Second, you need to understand where you
currently are at rank wise on the major search
engines?
 How else will you know what you‟re doing helps
or hurts


 Then, take a look at your website from the
eyes of a search engine… Does the content of
your website contain relevant information
pertaining to how you want to be found…
 If you want to be found as “coffee shop in
redding”, do those words even appear on your
website?


 Sometimes I see websites with the name “Bill &
Dianes” and then their menu… but nowhere is the
city, Redding, or the words “Coffee Shop”
 Then begin to think about how you can add
relevant information to your website that
contains the words or phrases which are
relevant to how you want to be found.


 In general, the more you use those words or
phrases across your website, the better results
you receive.
 However, they must be relevant, legitimate uses
of those words, within valuable content or text.
 Otherwise it‟s considered „keyword stuffing‟ and
you will be penalized.



In other words, don‟t just say
„best coffee shop in redding‟
on every single page.


 Next, you need to ensure that your website
has current, fresh information.
 The frequency doesn‟t matter as much as that it is
a pace you can keep up with…
 It
could be daily, weekly, monthly, or even quarterly.
 But find a rhythm that you and keep with


 Google and other search engines consider stale
information to be of less value.
 And while in some contexts (think of printed books in a
library) it isn‟t accurate…
 For the most part, on the internet it is very true.

 There are two ways you can be changing your
website:
 Updating existing information
 Adding new information

 Updating information…
 Looks like checking your website and adjusting
your prices, hours of operation, specials, etc.
 Adding new information…
 Looks like a blog, or current news relevant to your
website:
 A bakery which posts new recipes online
 A travel agency which posts airport delays


 The first two are the biggest and easiest to do:
 Relevant articles
 Current articles

 From here, it becomes more technical and
more difficult, but even completing the first two
will make a significant impact.


 The next thing is to get other websites to link
to you. But these need to come from reputable
sources…
 And forget about Facebook and Myspace, those
are just skipped over.
 You need websites like your or affiliates which
you have an actual relationship with.


 This might look like a bakery whose website
references a coffee shop; or a community center
which recommends a caterer.
 In general, the more other websites link to you,
the better.
 However, they need to come from legitimate websites,
like yours which provides value…
 Avoid so called „link exchanges‟ which can hurt your
position.

 The last tip for improving search rank is probably
the hardest, and that is to ensure that your
website confirms to W3C standards…
 Basically, search engines say, if you don‟t take the
time to write your website properly, we won‟t value it
as much…
 Think of it as the same way you “judge a book by it‟s
cover” – if the publisher doesn‟t take time to use high
quality material, then we value it less.

 Think of it as the same way you “judge a book by
it‟s cover” – if the publisher doesn‟t take time to
use high quality material, then we value it less.
 If your website doesn‟t meet standards, then it will
have less value.
 For this, talk to the person who did your
website. Ask them to show it is meets W3C
standards.

 So the for things in order are:
1. Relevant content
2. Recent content
3. Inbound links/referrals
4. Technically accurate website code


 Those elements are not only the basic
fundamentals, but will save you hundreds on
consulting fees.
 I have taken multiple websites, using essentially
these techniques alone, and not spending a single
dollar on any sort of affiliate, search engine
submission or any other fee to bring those
websites to a sustainable top 5 position for their
relevant keywords. It has taken around a year for
each website, but they have maintained that
position for years.

 And as you can see, there is a bit of immediate
work, as well as ongoing work…
 … and you have to ask yourself…. How can a
business make me #1 for only $50 or even
$500?



 In summary:
 SEO is important for any website
 You have the tools you need to make a positive change
now, and don‟t need to pay hundreds to someone else to
get started
 TODAY is the day to start
 And the simplest way to get results is to think about how
you evaluate what is valuable to you, and then ensure your
website is providing value by having: relevant content,
recent content, references (inbound links) and a good
cover (technical sound).

 Thank you for your time!


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