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Planning your website for a 10/10 on SEO

1Amplify Digital I preeti@amplifyhk.com

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Agenda for this morning

1. What matters for SEO

2. Website planning : Start from the start

3. Global Navigation : Setting the foundation right

4. User Experience & Outcomes

5. Handy Checklist

6. Resources & useful free tools

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01What is SEO?

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SEO stands for search engine optimization

It is the process of getting traffic from the free, organic, editorial

or natural search results on search engines.

Search Result

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Factors that impact SEO

1.Quality / Relevance

2.Authority / Reputation

3.User Experience

Content

Site Architecture

Back links (Quantity & Quality)

Identity

Social Shares

Navigation

Site Speed

Design

Security

Mobile Optimisation

Bounce Rate

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Today’s discussion

1.Quality / Relevance

2.Authority / Reputation

3.User Experience

Content

Site ArchitectureBack links (Quantity & Quality)

Identity

Brand Awareness

Social Shares

NavigationSite Speed

Design

Security

Mobile Optimisation

Bounce Rate

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02Where to start when you are planning the new website?

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3. Website GoalsHow website objectives translate into D.U.M.B goals?

What metrics or KPIs you will monitor to measure success?

Start with an objective setting exercise

1. Business ModelWhat business are you in?

What are your business objectives?What is your plan to achieve those objectives?

4. Reality CheckHow often will the site be updated?

Commitment of resources to manage the site?In-house/ agency/ talent

2. Website ObjectivesWhat role does the website play in your

business model? How will the website support each of the business

objectives?

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Revenue Generation through Advertising, Content Tie Ups and Events

Business Model

Website Goal

Attract Traffic Increase Page Views

Increase Time spent

Reduce Bounce Rate

Acquisition Behaviour Conversion

Newsletter Sign Ups

> Page Views

Objective setting for an Art E-Zine

Be an authority website in Art+Fashion domain attracting site visitors & driving engagement

Website Objectives

Targets

20,000 Unique Visitors/ Month > 4 Page Views

> 3 minutes

< 10%

500 / Month

50% @ > 5 Page Views

Website Goal Targets Website Goal Targets

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Using analytics to stay on top of ABC

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Monthly dashboard in line with business objectives

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03Setting the foundation right

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Global / Primary Navigation1. Header 2. Footer

The User is Drunk Video

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Global / Primary Navigation

• Think of Header as a supermarket signage, providing a clear & fast access to main content sections to visitors

• Copy used in the Header gives the visitors an idea what the site is about

• Sequence of links informs visitors about importance of each section

• Search Bar? More control to user

1. Header

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Global / Primary Navigation

• Think of it as administrative section of site

• What visitor may want to know but is not an important destination for the site owner for website success metrics

2. Footer

WellANdGood

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Side bar Optimisation for outcomes and behavior

• Allocation of space needs to be done on the basis of desired outcomes from a site visit

• Think about your conversion and behaviour targets

• Example – A publisher has set her No. 1 objective from each visit as subscription, which is followed by click ads and behavior targets

• Behavior Targets• Time spent on website

• Average page views per session

• Social sharing

1. Side bar

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Architecture of individual blog posts or pages

• Content Layout

• In line CTA

• Internal Linking

• Social Sharing

• Call to Action

• Make use of Header Tags

Sassy site

Sassy Site 2

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04Rounding up

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• Planning your website• Business Objectives to Website Success Metrics

• Website Architecture in line with ABC• Global Navigation

• Side Bar

• Single blog post architecture

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05Checklist

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Handy Checklist

• Speed Optimisation • Optimise hosting, images and code• Configure cloudfare• Replace larger plugins with light weight ones

• Image Optimisation • Size• File Name• Alt text• Text closest to image

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• Undertaking a basic keyword research before finalising the site copy

• Ensuring meta description and title for all pages is unique and relevant

• Setting preferred site URL & set redirects

• Logical and clean URL Structure of site

Handy Checklist

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• SSL Certificate / HTTPs

• Make sure important content is indexable

• No orphan links

Handy Checklist

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06Resources & Useful free tools

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Resources & useful free tools

• 200 SEO factors that contribute to your SERP http://backlinko.com/google-ranking-factors

• Website Grader (one of the most straightforward & easy to use Audit tools ) https://website.grader.com/

• Moz Tool Bar (install as a plugin to your browser. Quick reference to any website meta data, Domain & Page Authority https://moz.com/products/pro/seo-toolbar

• GT Metrix (Page speed performance with comprehensive report on resolution) https://gtmetrix.com/

• Google Site Speed test (Excellent for identifying & fixing bottlenecks in speed) https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

• Woorank (Site Audit tool with tons of info in free tool https://www.woorank.com/

• Google Adwords keyword planner (Keyword research tool) https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

• Tinypng (Compress & optimise images for web) https://tinypng.com/

• Image Optimiser (another good free image optimising tool ) http://www.imageoptimizer.net/Pages/Home.aspx

Anything in digital is open to measurement, learning and ultimately iteration. Nothing is finished and nothing is final.

24.08.16 I Waffle Wednesday Workshop by Amplify Digital I preeti@amplifyhk.com