What is SEO and Real Time Search?

Kasi Gajtkowski – Hall Web Services@kasi_mariekasi@hallme.com

Definition of SEO

• SEO = search engine optimization, organic search, natural search

• Not to be confused with Pay-Per-Click ads (sponsored listings)

• Use various elements on (and off) your website to help search engines determine what your site is about

“Giving your website the best possible chance to be found in a search related to your business.”

How do search engines work?

When you go to Google...(Kasi's non-technical definition)

1. You enter your search query2. Query hits Google's database (copy of the internet)

- Database built by search engine spiders or “bots” (software)3. Algorithm applied to find the most relevant web pages4. You get your SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)

So how does it rank?

• Each search engine has secret algorithm

• Algorithm based on ranking criteria

• Certain elements are known – considered “best practices”

Keywords

What words will people use to find your website?

• Target list of terms

• Use keyword tools for more ideas & validation

• Auto suggest feature in search engines

• Manually test the list in the search engines

• How competitive?

• May need to shift focus

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomm/217097889/

SEO Best Practices

What do we know?

• Search engine spiders read text best

• Looks at certain web page elements

• Use keywords in certain places and in web copy

• Various off page & technical elements

SEO just helps tell search engines what your site is about!

SEO IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE

Real Time Search

• Content published in “real time”

• Twitter, Facebook = as things are happening

• Michael Jackson

• Matt Damon @ Waldorf Astoria

• Traditional search was unable to provide this type of info

• Birth of Real Time Search Engines

Explosion of social media = people want to know NOW

Real Time Search Engines

Real Time search engines produce results from Twitter, Digg, Delicious, YouTube, Flickr, etc.

Check these out (there are many):

• OneRiot

• Collecta

• Scoopler

*Google & Bing finally get in the game late 2009.