SEO THE SECRET SAUCEApplied Search Engine Optimization

Presented by Massimo Paolini

MPThree Consulting Inc.

www.mpaolini.com

408-256-0673

WHAT WE WILL COVER

Definition Two Audiences Architecture (or a plan)

Would you like to know who the audiences are?

DEFINITION Search engine optimization (SEO) is the

process of improving the visibility of a web site or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results.

Google’s technology is based on keywords that you type. Instantly giving you results.

SEO

SEO is very time

consuming, there are no shortcuts.

Time = Money

SEO

A word once on a page is a word on a

page

A word twice is a mention

A word three times

is a keyword

RECENCY AND RELEVANCE

The search engines want to give you the customer the most recent and relevant content in their index related to your “keyword”

Recent is easy. If we both publish an article on the same subject but 2 minutes apart, if mine was the later one mine will be on top

Relevance is more complex.It’s a combination of votes in the form of links to your content, of keywords included in the content and other factors.

TWO AUDIENCES

Human The most important Pays the bills More complex Spots fakes Pays the bills

Machine Constantly changing Very predictable Very important

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A foreword about architecture.

Ideally you would build your site from the ground up with SEO in mind.

Most of us don’t making the work harder and more expensive later.

Each main page has ONE keyword and stands on its own.

Each is supported by multiple pages/posts supporting the primary keyword.

Just like pillars supporting a structure, you need pages supporting each other.

More later with internal linking.

AboutServic

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Home

WHAT WE COVERED

Definition Two Audiences Architecture

NEXT Practical research – Google Search EngineHow to use Google’s Search Engine to start your research.

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Use Google’s own search

engine:• Suggestion

box

Is a powerful tool to help you understand what other people search for.

For the following slides we’ll use Search Engine Optimization as the example

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This is for both the human & machine

More tools are hidden from the default view on the SERP:

Note: This is only available with “Instant turned off”

Click “Search tools”

Click “Wonder Wheel”

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This is for both the human and

machine

This shows relationships between keywords. Filter the results with common sense:• SEO Tools

doesn’t work since I don’t have tools

• SEO Forum is for conversation, no

• Meta tags, no• SEO tips, no• SEO pricing, no• Google SEO –

YES• SEO Tutorial, no• SEO software, no

THIS IS NOT A SCIENCE!

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• Google Webmaster, no

• Google Adwords, no

• Google SEO tips, no

• Google SE submission, maybe

• Google SE, maybe

• Google Meta tags, no

• Google Sitemap, no

• Google rankings, maybeStart a list.

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From the previous items and this one we have:• Google SEO• Google

Rankings• Improve

Google Rankings

• Website Rankings

• SE Rankings

NEXT:USE GOOGLE’S TOOLS – INSIGHT FOR SEARCH

Definition Two Audiences Architecture

Practical research – Google Search Engine

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Google for Advertisers is a great site, lots of good tools.

We will work in the “Insights” area

http://services.google.com/advertisers/us/

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This is a very powerful tool.

Start by simply typing your search.

You will need to do this for every keyword on your list

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If a search returns:

“Not enough search volume to show graphs.”

You are possibly looking at a long tail keyword.

A LITTLE DETOUR

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Remember the columns?

Long tail keywords are important for support

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I went to a higher level keyword and got some results.

The graph is NOT trending down showing the trend is steady

The graphs DO NOT represent the volume but the trend ONLY

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Geography is important if you are a local business and must do business locally or if you need to localize your software

Web Analytics

SEO

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Now the main courseContinue building your list.

Then click through to the next one and repeat

This research should take 2-3 hours minimum

Web Analytics

SEO

Repeat for every keyword you have

NEXT:USE GOOGLE’S TOOLS –KEYWORD TOOL

Definition Two Audiences Architecture

Practical research – Google Search Engine

Insight for search

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Take the list from the keyword tool and insert it into the Google keyword tool.

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Look at the traffic and competition for each and the suggestions.

Use the local numbers, unless you work globally.

Make sure you’re using broad match

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Export the data for all the keywords and concatenate into one spreadsheet

Sort by estimated CPC

Use de-duplication tool in Excel

Apply common sense again

NEXT:COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Definition Two Audiences Architecture

Practical research – Google Search Engine

Insight for search Keyword Tool

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Click on the top keywords and note who the competition is.

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Use a tool to ascertain what their PR is and what they are using for Title, Description, KW, and density.

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Here we are looking at their Meta Data and the Keyword Density

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From the Google Search copy the top competition into the Website field of the tool

Google will dutifully give you a list of more keywords that are on that page.Check them against your list

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Add to your growing list if it meats the right criteria and strike if not (unless it’s along tail and can fit on the pillar)

Now repeat the process for all the items on your list

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Use the MS tools to determine probability of conversionhttp://adlab.microsoft.com/Online-Commercial-Intention/Default.aspx

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Take the list, with the audience intelligence added and your site’s architecture and create the columns we talked about.

ONE keyword per page.

You will need a lot of pages.

NEXT:OPTIMIZE YOUR SITE

Definition Two Audiences Architecture The keyword list

Practical research – Google Search Engine

Insight for search Keyword Tool Competitive analysis

HUMAN AND MACHINE SEO

Two items for the SERP

Title Description Images Content

URL H1 KW 3 times Alt tags Clean code Optimized page

Human Machine

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The SERP is changing a lot.

You can control the title (blue link) and the description.

If I typed web analytics in the search (the keywords) I will want to see that KW on the title and in the description.

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In the Title field KW first, description, brand

In the description you need to do the same thing and give the searcher a compelling reason to click through

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I use WordPress with Thesis because among other things it gives me a very granular control of the SEO fields.

HOW DO I APPLY THIS?

Create a document template with the following : Keyword Title Tag Description URL H1Fills these before you start typing, having those items will take care of all the other mechanics you need.

NEXT:MINI-NETS & OTHER TOOLS

Definition Two Audiences Architecture The keyword list Optimize your site

Practical research – Google Search Engine

Insight for search Keyword Tool Competitive analysis

MIN

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Make your site the center of the universe and create an interlinked network of sites and pages all pointing to your site as the authority.

DO NOT buy links.

TOOLS

Plenty of tools for SEO, all equally good. SEOmoz WEB CEO HubSpot SEO Chat SEO Toolsand many more.

ULTIMATELY content is KING!

I will be emailing this presentation to anyone who leaves me a business card.