This presentation was given to college students interested in learning what search engine optimization is, and how it can be a career.

1. WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE
OPTIMIZATION?
And How is it a Career?
Mike Hanson

2. Defining Search Engine Optimization
• Search engine optimization
(SEO) is the process of
improving the visibility of a
website or a web page in
natural search results.
• Content is more visible in search
engines when a website:
– can be efficiently
crawled and indexed
– contains content users
desire
– is properly marketed
to users through link
building and content
distribution

3. Anatomy of a SERP (Search Engine Result Page)
35%
Paid Listings
(SEM)
Paid
Listings
(SEM)
Organic
Listings
(SEO)
17%
11%
#1 position
averages 35% of
all clicks from 1
search query.
Top 3 positions =
63%. Ads on top
average 22% total.

4. By The Numbers
 Google offers detailed data insight into search volume for free.
 Yahoo and Bing do not offer insights to search volume.
 Google owns approximately 66% of the search engine market share, while Bing has
16% and Yahoo has 12%.

5. ABCs of SEO
 Search engines use advanced algorithms to determine the order and placement of
websites for keywords that are submitted on search engines.
 While complex and continuously evolving, the practice of SEO can be categorized into
four core pillars (Architecture, Backlinks, Content, Social Media). Continued focus in these
fundamental areas are critical for sustained performance and incremental success.
ARCHITECTURE
Technical optimization to ensure
search engines can easily “crawl”
content and understand page
elements.
 Platform / CMS / Templates
 URL Structures, Source Code
 Site Migrations, Retiring
Content
A
BACKLINKS
Link building to ensure external
websites and 3rd party sources
relevant to a particular query are
linking to BAC.com pages.
 Press Releases, Partners /
Sponsors, Articles, Directories
 Viral Content & Infographics
B
CONTENT
Content optimization to ensure
“readable” text includes relevant
keywords and themes that reflect
consumer voice and need.
 Product / Service pages
 Education and engagement
 Relates to search engine and
consumer, drives conversion
C
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
YouTube are influencing content
discovery through sharing, voting
and social commenting signals
 On-site social sharing buttons
 Content creation, promotion,
sharing and voting in social
spaces
S

6. Search Engine Ranking Algorithms
 Search engine spiders have to
crawl and sort the web, and
then select and rank the
content that is considered
the most relevant and useful to
a searcher based on the
search query.
 To do this, search engine
algorithms apply a complex
set of rules, or a series of
unique formulas, to determine
the significance of any
particular web document.
 Each search engine has its
own set of ever changing rules.

7. Content• Determines the relevancy of a
page to a query
• Quality content affects Off Page
factors, which in turn can affect
rankings
• Keywords
– Terms which can be included
within content and are
relevant to the nature of the
page
– Can be included in various
elements of website
On Page SEO Factors

8. On Page SEO Factors
• Meta (Page) Title
– One of the most influential elements of on-page SEO
– Informs the search engines about the subject of a webpage
• Meta Description
– Concise description of webpage
– Not a ranking Factor but important for click-through rate within SERPs
Meta
Description
Meta
Title

9. • Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
– Distributes the value of content within a hierarchy, whose topic reflects the title of the
page.
• Internal Linking
– Embedding links to other website pages within the page content.
On Page SEO Factors
H1H2
H3
H3

10. • URL Structure
Complex URL
http://www.example-1.com/br904/kw=4316?&item-photo1
– Very difficult to determine the nature of the page
– Crawlers have a hard time deciphering
Clean URL
http://www.example-2.com/brand/keyword
– More comprehendible
– Improves user experience
– Improves crawlibility
On Page SEO Factors

11. • Site Architecture - Where and how long does it take to get to a page?
– Authority and value are disbursed based upon level and location
– Spiders see lower level pages as less valuable
On Page SEO Factors
11 / ©2012 , Inc. All rights reserved.
Authority

12. Off Page SEO Factors
• Link Building
– Securing inbound links to website
from high quality and topically
relevant sources
– Links need to have relevance,
authority, trust and diversity to
help with SEO efforts
– Search engines place more
value on particular pages and
websites
– Increased referral traffic

13. Off Page SEO Factors
• Content worth sharing
– Videos
– Articles
– Widgets/Tools
 Social Media
– Social Signals
– Community Engagement & Sharing
 Bad neighborhoods
– Groups of bad links
– Authority
– Trust

14. Misconceptions of SEO
• Google Adwords & Paid Listings
– Organic v. Paid
• Developers and Designers
– Coding guru and Photoshop extraordinaire
• Simplicity
– Keyword stuff and submit links to
thousands of sites
• Spammers
– Manipulators v. Influencers
• SEO is Dead (R.I.P)
– More competitive and evolving

15. Common Job Responsibilities
 Research & Analysis
 Keyword Research
 Site Obstacle Analysis
 Competitive Assessment
 Backlink Analysis
 Strategic Planning & Execution
 Keyword Selection
 Page Optimization
 Backlink Strategy Development
 Backlink Strategy Execution
 Reporting & Analytics
 Visibility Reporting
 ROI Reporting
 Status Reporting & Presentations

16. Where You Can Be Employed
Agency - A company that provides SEO services to another organization.
 Entry level opportunities
 Ability to work across multiple clients and multiple industries
 Knowledge sharing/support from other SEO experts and proprietary tools
 Room for professional growth
 Narrow job focus
In-house - Many companies employ in-house SEO strategists.
 Choose the brand you represent
 Ability to execute recommendations easier
 Gain experience/knowledge in other online areas
 Become an expert in a specific industry
Independent – Work as an independent contractor or start your own company.
 Flexible
 Work with small businesses
 Very risky financially

17. Is SEO Right For You?
PROs of SEO
 Not Specific to a Certain College
Degree
 Entry Level Opportunities
 High Demand for Jobs
 Jobs Available in Most Geographical
Locations
 Competitive Salary
 Ability to Work Remotely (Job
Specific)
 Flexible Hours (Job Specific)
 Caters to a Variety of Skills &
Personality Traits
 Can Work in Any Industry
 Can Lead to a Number of Other
Online and/or Marketing Careers
CONs of SEO
• Dependent upon Search Engines
• Rapid Industry Changes
• Long Hours
• The Internet is 24/7
• Requires Patience to see SEO Results
• Can Get Repetitive
• Lack of Understanding of Role from
Industry Outsiders
• Mostly Heads Down Work
• Constant Screen Time

18. End
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehansonseo/