Search Engine Optimization - A Strategic Overview

Chris Hewitt | @chewitt | WhatDoesMarketingReallyDo.com

Search Engine Optimization

(SEO)Driving Relevant Traffic To Your Website


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What We’re Going To CoverOur Agenda• Introduction• What is SEO• How SEO Works• SEO Strategy - Integrating/Measuring/Sustaining• Future of SEO• Take Aways• Questions


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Why Are We Here?Leverage SEO To Drive Growth• Capture the attention of interested,

relevant Internet traffic– Direct eCommerce– Lead Generation– Messaging– Awareness

• Create dialog with relevant content and visitor value


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Why Are We Listening To This Guy?A Little About Me• Senior Director, Marketing at Lumension• Over 12 Years in Internet Strategy and Web

Marketing– SEO/SEM– Social Media– Lead Generation– eCommerce

• Broad Applied Background: Sales, Marketing, and Technical Experience

• Co-author of an Internet Business Method Patent


What Is SEO


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SEO in a Single Slide• Discipline of bringing content visibility to search

engine audiences in order to drive relevant Internet traffic– Founded in targeted search keywords and phrases

• SEO is a collaborative tactic, driven and supported by our marketing objectives– Adopting (and committing to) the above, SEO is a deep

tactic requiring thoughtful planning, maintenance, and enhancement

• Most Important Components– New Keyword Selection (critical, strategic activity) – Keyword-supporting Content Creation– Search Engine Optimization

• Internal• External


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Search Engine Rankings• I search for ‘xyz’ on Google (et al.) how do

certain websites shown up and in that order?– Creating an Internet index

• Search engines ‘crawl’ the Internet and websites

– Identifying content• ‘Crawling’ generates relationships between content

(webpages, videos, documents, etc.) and identifying keywords

– ‘Context’ associations• Geography• Language• Etc.


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SEO vs. Advertising (SEM)


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An Internet Popularity Contest• Relevance to keywords is often

determined by the number of ‘votes’– Linking between websites is a ‘vote’

• The text used in the actual link is critical

– The more quality ‘votes’ the stronger the association


The Search Engine Landscape

Search Engine Share | comScore November 2009

Google, 65.60%

Yahoo!, 17.50%

Bing, 10.30%Ask, 3.80% AOL, 2.80%


How SEO Works


SEO | A Strategic View


Search Keywords• Strategic Foundation of SEO

– All activities should be derived from this strategic set of keywords

• Focused on non-branded keywords– Branded keywords self-optimize (generally)

• Awareness of your audience– Ex: Highly technical (using search operators + , - , “ “, etc.)

Chart From SEOmoz

Less search volume here but highly engaged

audience

More general; multiple

audiences and targeted visitor

personas


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SEO Components

Organization Concepts/Thoughts/Knowledge

Targeted Audiences

Relevant Keywords

Optimization Efforts

Content


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It Begins With Keywords• Define your audience

– Relevance of message– How you will return value

• Volume of search– Internet interest– The more popular, the greater the opportunity

• Understand your competitive landscape– Competitive SEO efforts– Competing for the same target audience– Differentiating your message


Organizational SEO | Matrix


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SEO Activities• Two main components

– On Page Optimization• Changes made to your website

– Off Page Optimization• Efforts to drive visibility and links to your website

• Influence on search engine rankings– On Page Optimization – 25%– Off Page Optimization – 75%


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On Page SEO• Changes architecture/content of your

website– HTML and Design

• Page title• Text mark up• Meta information

– Technical architecture• Technology decisions• Domain name• Page name (e.g. webpage.html)• Directory structure

– Content• Keyword emphasis• Significance of on page text


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Off Page SEO• It’s all about linking!

– Inbound links from other websites– Text used for linking

• Leverage your targeted keywords and phrases• Avoiding the ‘click here’ mistake

– Linking resources• Directories• Business partners• Affiliations (e.g. business groups)• Press releases• Social Media

• Search engine registration– Register your website for indexing– Create an XML sitemap


SEO : An Integrated View


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Integrate Your Marketing Message• Be Consistent

– Marketing messaging and SEO must be aligned

• Be Relevant– Actively engage your audience– Offline or online find ways to create dialog

• Be Authentic– Create content and tone that match your brand

• Be Creative– Find ways to bring unique, differentiated value

to your target audiences


What About Pay-Per-Click?• Long-term, PPC is a highly targeted tactic

supplementing organic search– Specific audiences– Highly competitive organic keywords– New, undeveloped, or introductory concepts– Compelling, targeted offers


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Measuring• SEO is an investment

– Rankings mature and develop over time

• Measurement of success– Website analytics!– ‘Analysis’ over ‘reports’– Third party tools– Don’t forget about your competitors

• Quality time– SEO needs your attention and affection– Stay universally current (industry, company,

etc.)


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Sustaining and Growing SEO• Back to the ‘content’ rant

– SEO can produce truly organic growth– Focus on your unique value

• Content• Experience• Talent• Opinion• Background

• Connect organization evolution to SEO– Strategic shifts– Industry trends– Competitive actions


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Protecting SEO• Be aware of your SEO efforts

– Search engine equity

• Seemingly innocent changes can harm your efforts– Website redesign– Design decisions (e.g. Flash)– Removing pages– Linking


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They’re Here, Now What?• Conversion: the MOST important

strategic component supporting SEO• You have new traffic, you now have to

motivate them to take action– Do not expect new visitors to find their way on

your website– The ‘back’ button – and your competition is

one quick click away

• Be purposeful– Drive new visitors to clear, specific, limited,

and value-added actions


Future of SEO


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Evolution of the Internet• Social Media

– Creating new content– Driving relevance– Viral, collaborative nature of information

sharing

• Technology– The Semantic Web– Website technologies

• New Business Models– Fighting for relevance– SEM conflict


How Do I Get Started?

SEO Assignments


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The Take Aways1. Find your SEO ‘voice’ (i.e. relevant keywords)2. Install website analytics (Google Analytics)3. Register with ‘local’ listings (Google, Yahoo!, MSN)4. Get your customers talking (Yelp!)5. Look at the competition (Spyfu.com, Compete.com)6. Get a grade (website.grader.com)7. Start creating and publish great content8. Find a unique value proposition9. Energize your network (LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook,

…)10. Learn (Slideshare.net)


Questions

@chewittWhatDoesMarketingReallyDo.com

Date post:	12-May-2015
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