Right now people are searching on Google for services that your organization can provide. Are they finding you? This interactive workshop will teach you how to get your website to show up and rank higher in search results.
You’ll learn the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) including:
How search engines like Google work
What SEO (Search Engine Optimization) means
Steps to setting up an effective SEO Strategy
What you can do right now to get found in search engines
SEO trends to watch
1. SEO Basics & Beyond:
Keys to Search Engine Success
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Agenda
What SEO Means
How Search Engines Work
What to Expect
Setting Up a Successful SEO
Strategy (Basics and Beyond)
ThingsYou Can Do Right Now to
IncreaseYour Exposure in Search
Engines
SEOTrends toWatch
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Q&A
We will have Q&A at the end of each section
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Download Slides
PamAnnMarketing.com/slides
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About Me
Coding since 6 years old
Creating websites since 1997
Working in e-commerce since
2005
Marketing MBA
Agency since 2011
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What “SEO” Means
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is
the art and science of influencing
search engines to rank your content
high in search results..
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What “SEO” Means
…influencing search engines…
1. Apply a set of educated guesses
2. Test and measure results
3. Rinse, repeat.
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How Search Engines Work
Search engines just want to give users the
information they need.
Therefore, they just want you to provide
good/useful/helpful content.
How Search Engines Work:
The Basics
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How Search Engines Work
Google does data entry with your website
They extract a copy of your site’s text and
code and put it into their own database
This is called “indexing”
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How Search Engines Work
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How Search Engines Work
Their copy is what gets
searched against when a
user enters a search
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How Search Engines Work
To determine position in results, sites are ranked according to a
set of algorithms (“if this, then that” conditions)
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How Search Engines Work
There are over 200 known ranking factors that Google looks at
They can all be lumped into 3 categories
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How Search Engines Work
Search engines need to understand your content.
Things that help them do that:
A good content management system (CMS) like
WordPress
A fast–loading site
A mobile-friendly site
Technical: The Basics
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How Search Engines Work
Content: The Basics
Using the same keywords people are
searching with
Using those keywords naturally and logically
Well-organized content
Fresh (new) content added on a regular
basis
User-friendly navigation, linking similar
pages to each other
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How Search Engines Work
Getting reputable & relevant websites to link to yours and talk
about your brand.
Building up social media “signals” that indicate real people are
liking and sharing your content.
(For local businesses) Creating accurate local listings in sites
like SuperPages,YellowPages, WhitePages,Yelp, etc.
Off Page: The Basics
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How Search Engines Work
Without getting into further detail, if you simply:
▪ Have a good CMS, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly site
▪ Use keywords logically and naturally
▪ Organize your content well and add to it often
▪ Get other brands and people to talk about your brand
▪ List accurate information in “online phone book” directories
You will get more search engine traffic.
Summary: The Basics
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What to Expect
SEO Takes Time.
• You may see some
immediate
improvement, but
overall SEO takes a
lot of time and
commitment to
really work.
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What to Expect
SEO is an ONGOING Strategy.
• There areTHOUSANDS of algorithm updates each
year. Google will always want you to do at least a few new
things to your site each year.
• Adding new/fresh content can never stop. It’s like
putting gas in your car.Without gas, it doesn’t go.Without
new/fresh content, your SEO efforts won’t fully work.
• It’s partially guesswork. You have to test and measure
constantly, and keep doing more of what’s working and
less of what’s not.
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What to Expect
You Will Need Resources.
SEO works best when a company has the following resources in place:
• An SEO expert or agency
• A good web developer/designer
• A great copywriter
• A public relations agency and/or a great social media agency
• Funds for all of the above
That being said, you can make great strides on your own if you
have the time to learn and do the work yourself, and at least some
small funds for coaching/training.
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What to Expect
You Will Waste Money
if You “SEO it Later”
• Many people think they can build a new site and just “SEO it”
later.
• Technically this is true, but this approach will cost a lot more in
the long run.
• It’s best to have a new site “architected” for SEO from the very
beginning of the build.
• An SEO agency actually needs to start research and planning
WEEKS prior to the web developer starting to code the site.
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How Search Engines Work
Search-engine-friendly & error-free website code
Website server response time & page load time
Mobile-friendliness, proper responsive design
Secure (https) and malware-free
Additional markup
(Schema.org)
Technical
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A Successful SEO Strategy
New site in the works? Start with a “blueprint”
Build it right in the first place!
At most basic level, make sure new site will be fully responsive (mobile-friendly),
and that it loads fast per Google PageSpeed Insights test & GTMetrix
Technical
WordPress is highly recommended as an SEO-
friendly platform, as it is a widely-supported
open source platform. Click here to read why
open source is best for SEO.
An SEOAgency can provide full and
customized specifications for the web designer
to work off of
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Existing site? Start with an audit
WooRank is free, but only scans one page and doesn’t check
for everything. Good place to start though.
An SEO agency can do a full audit
▪ Be sure it includes mobile friendliness & site speed, as well as other
common factors such as header tag hierarchy, Schema.org,
robots.txt, XML sitemaps, etc.
Technical
www.WooRank.com
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Technical
www.WooRank.com
Hand audit report to
webmaster.
Tell them to fix it all.
(Cry at cost if
necessary)
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Google Search Console
(formerly known as Google WebmasterTools)
For now, still located at:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
Contains info on index status, crawl errors, warning
messages, penalties, mobile usability errors, etc .
This is THE ONLY place Google will communicate with you
directly about your site!
▪ Ensure that email notifications are turned on in the preferences!
Technical
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Technical - Speed
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Page Speed Basics
FAST hosting
▪ NO shared GoDaddy, Bluehost, etc. plans!
▪ VPS or FAST managed WP hosting (NOT WPEngine!)
▪ (Heard good things about WPX Hosting but haven’t tried them yet personally)
Technical - Speed
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Page Speed Basics
Caching & Minifying Plugins
▪ W3Total Cache, WP Super Cache, or WPRocket
CDN (CloudFlare is free)
Image Optimization
▪ Right-size dimensions and compress before upload with tools like
http://optimizilla.com/
▪ Use image compression plugins like WPSmush or EWWW Image
Optimizer
Technical - Speed
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A Successful SEO Strategy
OngoingTechnical Strategy
Full audit updates quarterly
Check Search Console regularly & subscribe to email notifications
▪ Consistently fix any crawl errors that come up
Monitor Page Speed closely with PageSpeed Insights, GTMetrix,
and Google Analytics (Behavior -> Site Speed)
Subscribe to Google WebmasterCentral Blog for real time alerts
of new technical considerations:
https://webmasters.googleblog.com/
Technical - Ongoing
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A Successful SEO Strategy
How to organize information
A lot of different topics on one page is confusing to the search
engines
Content
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
How to organize information
Separate pages for each topic, product, or service
Link similar pages to each other to create topical “hubs”
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Ongoing content strategy
“Fresh” content is important, but that doesn’t
mean CHANGING existing content, that means
ADDING new content
Important to keep site size growing by adding
new pages or articles all the time
Blog RELIGIOUSLY!
(Blog must be on your own website, not on WordPress.com or Blogger.com)
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Source: Hubspot
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
4 Categories = 4 Posts Per Month
Use Keyword Research to get ideas
Plan far ahead
• HINT: An Editorial Calendar is a lifesaver!
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Quick Overview of Key Points
Use primary kw (in subheading)
Opening Paragraph
Use primary kw
Title
Use primary kw
Keyword /Topic Selection
Choose a "right-sized" primary keyword based on monthly organic search
traffic, and a few secondary/supporting keywords
Call-to-Action
Link to a related article, lead magnet,
services/product page, or contact page.
Conclusion Paragraph
Use primary kw
Conclusion Subheading
Use primary kw
Breakdown of Each Key Point (with
subheadings for each)
Use primary and secondary kws naturally
throughout copy
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Determine what keywords to use (a.k.a. “Keyword Research”)
Content
Search SuggestTools
▪ AnswerThePublic (free)
▪ Soovle (free)
DataTools:
▪ Google AdWords Keyword Planner
(for paying advertisers)
▪ KeywordTool.io (my favorite, paid,
$88/mo)
▪ SEMRush (partially free)
▪ SERPStat (partially free)
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Use a keyword research tool to pick phrases with search
volume at or below your monthly organic traffic number
If search engines were willing to rank your site for keywords
with larger volume than that, they would be doing so already,
and you’d have a higher traffic number.
Therefore, you need to pick “right-sized” keywords that are in a
range that search engines are willing to rank you for.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Find out your monthly organic search traffic number in Google Analytics.
Acquisition -> All Traffic -> Channels
Set date range to last 30 days
Take note of organic
traffic number
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Pick a primary keyword for each piece of content with search volume
at or below your monthly organic traffic number.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Also pick a few
secondary/supporting
phrases for context.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Content
Use search suggest for additional secondary keyword ideas.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Title & Opening
Use the primary keyword it in the title, and repeat it in the opening
paragraph.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Quick Overview
Include the primary keyword in a quick overview of the key points you’re
about to make (in a subheading).
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Key Point Breakdown
• Break down each key point.
• Include the primary keyword naturally.
• “Pepper in” the secondary/supporting keywords at least once each
throughout.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Conclusion
Include the primary keyword in your conclusion, both in a
subheading and in the conclusion paragraph.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Frequency
Count up your total uses of the primary phrase.
1,000 words =
min 10 times,
max 20 times
Aim for at least 1 time per 100 words.
DO NOT exceed 2 times per 100 words.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Quick Overview of Key Points
Use primary kw (in subheading)
Opening Paragraph
Use primary kw
Title
Use primary kw
Keyword /Topic Selection
Choose a "right-sized" primary keyword based on monthly organic search
traffic, and a few secondary/supporting keywords
Call-to-Action
Link to a related article, lead magnet,
services/product page, or contact page.
Conclusion Paragraph
Use primary kw
Conclusion Subheading
Use primary kw
Breakdown of Each Key Point (with
subheadings for each)
Use primary and secondary kws naturally
throughout copy
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Image Keywords
Use Primary Phrase in Image Filename & Alt Tag:
• All content should have at least one image.
• Name the image filename with the phrase, using dashes (NOT underscores) as
spaces, e.g. ac-compressor-failure.jpg.
• There is also a tag called an “image alt tag” that exists to tell search engines
more about the image. Use your phrase in this description as well.
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Off Page
Links
Other websites linking to your website
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Reputable and Relevant
CANNOT be manipulated – DO NOT buy links!
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Off Page
Best Ways to Get Natural Links
Write great content & pay to promote it
▪ Paying for eyeballs is okay, paying for links is not!
▪ Pay to boost great blog posts on social (FB/LI)
HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
Offer (and promote) scholarships & internships
Offer government & university staff/student discounts
Look at competitor links for ideas (Ahrefs, OpenSiteExplorer, Majestic)
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Off Page
Social Signals
Content that lives on your website getting
“liked”, shared, commented on, etc.
Boost to get more signals
Again, write great content & pay to promote it
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Off Page (for Local Biz)
Citations (a.k.a. “Online Phone Book Listings”)
For local businesses
NAP = Name, Address, Phone
Consistency is key
Google My Business (a.k.a. Google Maps)
Claim & fully fill out all info, including and especially categories
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Measurement & Analysis
Remember…
This is educated guesswork
You HAVE to measure what
worked and what didn’t!
Why? So you can do more of
what works and less of what
doesn’t
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A Successful SEO Strategy
Measurement & Analysis
What to measure
Organic traffic
▪ Make sure it’s always increasing
Top landing pages
▪ See what content works best
Top referring sources
▪ See what sites are linking to you
Top organic keywords
▪ What keywords is Google associating your site with (in Search Console)
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Things to do NOW
Set up Search Console
Subscribe to email notifications
Start blogging (on your own site)
Share (and boost) your great content on social
Sign up for HARO
For local businesses…
Claim/optimize Google My Business listing
Build/correct other “online phone book” listings
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Things to NEVER do
“Stuff” keywords into your content
Hyperlink tons of keywords
Create lots of similar pages with boilerplate copy
Create orphaned/doorway pages
Use hidden text
Buy links (NEVEREVEREVEREVER do this!)
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Trends to Watch
Mobile, Mobile, Mobile!
Google is getting pickier and pickier about how well sites perform on mobile.
Google has started moving mobile-friendly sites to a “mobile-first index.”
Test your site frequently with Google’s mobile-friendly tools.
Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
At first, this was important only for news sites & large blogs, butAMP pages
are now found throughout all types of search results.
2018 SEO Trends to Watch
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Trends to Watch
Speed
Google cares about this more than ever.We have seen direct correlations
between site load time and rankings.
The “Speed Update” is coming in July 2018. Speed will then be an official
ranking factor on mobile.
Test page speed frequently with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool and
GTMetrix.
Also monitor speed performance in Google Analytics (Behavior -> Site Speed)
2018 SEO Trends to Watch
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Trends to Watch
Better Ads Standards
NO pop-ups!There is now a specific SEO penalty for this on mobile. Keep an
eye on https://www.betterads.org/standards/ for new developments.
Security (https)
HTTPS is a ranking factor that continues to grow in importance.
As of July 2018, Google will show warnings on forms that appear on non-https
sites.
2018 SEO Trends to Watch
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Recap
What SEO Means
Art & science of *influencing* position
in search engines
How Search Engines Work
Sites ranked based upon 200+ factors
in 3 categories: Technical, Content, Off
Page
Successful SEO Strategy
Good CMS, fast-loading, mobile-
friendly site
Use keywords logically and naturally
Organize your content well and add to
it often
Get other brands and people to talk
about your brand
List accurate information in “online
phone book” directories
Things to do NOW
Set up Search Console
Start blogging & promote on social!
Things to NEVER do
Buy links!
Try too hard (stuff keywords, etc.)
SEOTrends to Watch
Mobile, AMP, Speed, Ads Standards,
HTTPS
Go Beyond the Basics
Work with an SEO expert or agency
Hire good web developer, copywriter,
PR, and social experts
Get coaching if going at it on your own
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List of Resources
Technical
WooRank.com:
https://www.woorank.com/
Google PageSpeed Insights:
https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
GTMetrix (another speed tool):
https://gtmetrix.com/
Google’s Mobile FriendlyTool*:
https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
▪ Doesn’t test mobile usability. See Search Console for that.
Google Search Console:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
Content
Google AdWords Keyword Planner:
https://adwords.google.com/
SEMRush:
https://www.semrush.com
SERPStat:
https://serpstat.com/
AnswerThe Public:
https://answerthepublic.com/
Soovle:
http://soovle.com/
Off-Page
HARO (Help a Reporter Out):
https://www.helpareporter.com/
OpenSiteExplorer:
https://moz.com/researchtools/ose/
Local
Google My Business:
https://www.google.com/business/
Listing Checker:
https://www.optimizelocation.com/partner/pamannmark
eting/diagnostic.html
Measurement
Google Analytics:
https://analytics.google.com/
Google Search Console:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
Trends
BetterAds Standards:
https://www.betterads.org/standards/
GoogleWebmaster Blog:
https://webmasters.googleblog.com/
Services
Coaching: http://pamannmarketing.com/internet-marketing-services/internet-marketing-coaching/
SEO: http://pamannmarketing.com/internet-marketing-services/new-jersey-seo-services/