SEO According to Google - workstory.s3. · PDF fileguidelines and recommendations, not Intel...
Transcript of SEO According to Google - workstory.s3. · PDF fileguidelines and recommendations, not Intel...
SEO According to Google
An On-Page Optimization Presentation
By Rachel Halfhill
Lead Copywriter at CDI
• Overview
• Keywords
• Page Titles
• URLs
• Descriptions
• Heading Tags
• Anchor Text
• Alt Text
• Resources and Conclusions
Agenda
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1. Covers each topic
2. Provides examples
3. And follows up with Google's BKMs
Goal: By the end of this presentation, you should know the on-page elements, and Google's recommendations for optimization.
Disclaimer: These are based on Google's guidelines and recommendations, not Intel policies for search engine optimization.
• Important On-Page Elements
• Unique page titles accurately announce content.
• Readable URLs and file names denote structure.
• Descriptions explain or summarize page content.
• Heading tags break up page content into digestible chunks.
• Anchor text and alt text describe images and links for visitors and search bots.
Optimize for the Visitor
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Google provides some guidance on what it thinks is most important for search engine optimization (SEO), to encourage the best user experience.
Google actively punishes SEO tactics that are intended to deceive search engines or visitors. Google can reduce relevance or ban a site or entire domains from appearing in search results.
Tactics include:
• Automatically generated content
• Cloaking
• Hidden text or links
• Scraped content
• Loading pages with irrelevant keywords (keyword spamming)
Avoid Deceptive Tactics
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To help explain on-page optimization, I'm using an example called "My Dog Is Best Dog" at www.mydogisbestdog.com (not a real link).
• Page content is focused towards entertainment.
• My target audience? Dog lovers.
• My specific webpage for the following examples:
• An article on how my dog dances for treats.
Example Website
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Google does not use keyword metadata fields. Instead, the search bots look for a consistent theme and pull keywords from your content. Having a single keyword in mind for the metadata helps focus your writing, and can prevent you from forcing too many topics into one page.
• Make use of the Keyword Tool from Google Adwords
• The Keyword Tool provides • Search Volume
• Competition Level (Paid Searches)
• Keyword Variations
• Use a good mix throughout your content, but pick one to optimize metadata.
Find the Right Keywords
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Which search terms will visitors use to find a web page?
Example: Create a Keyword
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• Start by listing any combinations, variations, etc. to describe the page.
• Best dancing dog, my dog dances, watch dog dancing, dog dances for
treats, how to train your dog to dance, dancing dog
• Use a Google Adwords to find what is most likely to be searched for.
• Narrow down further to what best fits the content.
• Select the most appropriate and searched terms.
• “Dog dances for treats”
• Bad Examples: Using all the keywords! Using keywords with millions of
hits but little relevance, such as “dog” or “dance”.
Page/SEO Titles are the
quickest way to tell search
engines and users what the
page is about.
• Each page should have a
unique title.
• Search results display page
titles, and Google highlights
parts that match a query.
• Include a keyword that you
expect people to use when
searching for your content.
Unique, Accurate Page Titles
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Paid
Searches
Keyword
highlighted!
Even when it's
not exact!
Related
suggestions
What should I call my new product page?
Example: Create a Page Title
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Good SEO Title: My Dog Dances for Treats
• This title may attract visitors searching for “dog dances” or “dances for treats” as well.
• It tells searchers what the page is about, and helps them decide if your page is what they are looking for.
Bad SEO Title: My Dog or My Awesome Dog is the Best Dog in the World
• The first option is too vague, and it doesn't say anything about the product.
• The second is too generic for the pages while repeating some words while
being vague about what the page is about.
Google’s Best Practices: Page Titles
Relevant
• Do: Choose a title that
effectively and
accurately
communicates the topic
of the page's content.
• Don't: Choose a title
that has no relation to
the content on the
page.
• Don't: Use default or
vague titles: "Untitled"
or "New Page 1."
Unique
• Do: Create unique titles
for each page. It helps
Google know how the
page is distinct from
others on your site.
• Don't: Use a single title
for each page or for a
large group of pages.
Short
• Do: Create short AND
informative titles.
Google does have a
character limit (66) and
will truncate the title
after this.
• Don't: Use extremely
lengthy titles that are
unhelpful to users.
• Don't: Stuff unneeded
keywords into titles.
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Simple, descriptive categories and file names keep your site
organized and improve search engine crawling.
• Descriptive URLs are more user-friendly and make it easier
to remember and link to your content.
Understandable URLs
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…\pix\DCS00097%date
=7%8%2015%small
…\pictures\mydog\d
og-dances-for-treats
Q: Which would you open?
What makes a good URL?
Example: Create a Page URL
Good:
www.mydogisbestdog.com/why/dog-dances-for-treats
Nodes inform about the site structure
Includes the same keywords from the page title
Bad:
www.mydogisbestdog.com/dog/best/why/dance/1
Too many nodes that don't help organize site structure
Does not use keywords in filename
Google’s Best Practices: URLs
Relevant
• Do: Create URLs with
words relevant to the
page content and a
friendly structure.
• Don't: Use lengthy URLs
with unnecessary
parameters and session
IDs.
• Don't: Create generic
page names like
"page1.html".
• Don't: Use excessive
keywords in the URL.
Organized
• Do: Create a directory
structure that organizes
content well, preferably
with an indication of the
type of content found at
that URL.
• Don't: Have deep
nesting of subdirectories
like
"…/dir1/dir2/dir3/dir4/
dir5/dir6/page.html".
• Don't: Create directory
names that have no
relation to the content
in them.
One URL to One Page
• Do: Create only one
version of a URL to
reach a document. Use
301 redirects or
canonical URLs to clean
up content accessible
through multiple URLs.
• Don't: Have pages from
subdomains and root
directory access the
same content.
• Don't: Use odd
capitalization of URLs.
Keep it lower case and
users will remember
them better.
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• Google displays either the relevant portion of your page that matches a search or your description, with search words highlighted.
• Google's Content Analysis and Sitemap Tool (Webmaster Tools) can help summarize a page.
• Learn how to improve search snippets with meta descriptions from the Google Blogs.
Descriptions Written for Searchers
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Good descriptions summarize what the page is about and
convince searchers to view your page.
What makes a good description?
Example: Create a Description
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Good
SEO Description: Because my dog dances for treats, he’s one of the best dogs ever:
see why with this collection of photos and a video of him performing the trick.
Includes the keyword, explains why it’s on the site, and what you can
find on the page.
Bad
SEO Description: Watch this dog dance for treats, this dancing dog is the best dog who will do anything for treats.
Repetitive, repeats the wrong keywords. Imagine it paired with a bad title!
Fails to say anything else about the page.
Google’s Best Practices: Descriptions
Relevant
• Do: Write an informative, interesting
description to help users evaluate
your page in a search result.
• Don't: Write descriptions that have no
relation to the page content.
• Don't: Use generic descriptions like
"This is a web page" or "Page about
baseball cards."
• Don't: Fill descriptions with only
keywords.
• Don't: Copy and paste the entire page
content into the description.
Unique
• Do: Write unique descriptions for each
page in your site. Your site may have
several pages relevant to a search,
and users will want to know the
difference between them.
• Don't: Use a single description across
every page or large groups of pages on
your site.
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• Heading tags separate blocks of text into
different topics.
• Users can quickly find the content they are
looking for on a page.
• H1 may be used for determining relevancy
of a page.
Add Structure with Heading Tags
Use the h1 and other headers to present the page structure to
visitors and search bots.
For when re-using the title isn't enough…
Example: Create a Heading
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Good
H1: Reason 3: dances for treats
H2: This dog will do anything for treats
Includes related keywords
Introduces page content and themes
Bad
H1: Best dog ever, this dog is the best, dancing dog
Keyword stuffing
Fails to set up the page content it introduces.
Google’s Best Practices: Heading Tags
Sort and Define
• Do: Pull out main points and sub
points of the content and decide
where to use the heading tags
appropriately, like an outline.
• Don't: Place text in heading tags that
doesn't define the page structure.
• Don't: Use heading tags where
formatting tags are more appropriate.
• Don't: Erratically move from one
heading tag size to another.
Make Sense
• Do: Use headings only where it makes
sense. Too many make it harder for
the user to scan content and find new
topics.
• Don't: Use excessive heading tags.
• Don't: Put all the text into a heading
tag.
• Don't: Use heading tags for style, they
should be used for structure.
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Tip: If you have too many heading tags and topics, create a new page to
break up the different topics.
• Descriptive text is better than a long
filename string.
• Using a keyword in the anchor text can
help build relevancy.
• Having a long stream of keywords looks
spammy, so keep anchor text relevant
and helpful.
Relevant Anchor Text
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Anchor text should tell users and search engines what the
page is linking to, and links to your page should do the same.
How would you link to a page?
Example: Write Anchor Text
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Good
Anchor Text: "Find out why my dog is the best."
Anchor Text: "Learn more about how to train your dog to dance."
Anchor Text: “This dog expert has some great advice on training with treats."
Bad
Anchor Text: "Find out more."
Google’s Best Practices: Anchor Text
Informative
• Do: Write anchor text that provides a
basic idea of what the linked page is
about.
• Don't: Write generic anchor text like
"page," "article," or "click here."
• Don't: Use off-topic or irrelevant text.
• Don't: Use the URL as the anchor text
unless you are promoting or
referencing a web site's address, i.e.,
"www.intel.com".
Short
• Do: Keep anchor text short but
descriptive, usually a few words or a
short phrase.
• Don't: Write a lengthy sentence or
short paragraph of text for the anchor
text.
Visible • Do: Make anchor text distinguishable
from regular text, so users won't miss
the links or accidentally click on
them.
• Don't: Use CSS or text styling that
makes links look like regular text.
Quality
• Do: Write good anchor text for
internal links as well. It will help
Google and users navigate your site
better.
• Don't: Use excessively keyword-filled
or lengthy anchor text just for search
engines.
• Don't: Create unnecessary links that
don't help with your site’s navigation.
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• Optimizing image filenames and "Alt"
text improves image searching and can
add to a page's relevance.
• "Alt" text appears when an image
can't, such as for:
– Javascript issues or image loading issues
– Screen readers that describe images for
the disabled
Image "Alt" Text
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Example: Man worries
about sick computer
because its images
won't load.
Search engines use "Alt" text to determine if images are
relevant to a topic. Google Crawler can't read the text in
images, including links, and relies on "Alt" attributes to read
the text.
Google’s Best Practices: "Alt" Text
Descriptive
• Do: Create short but descriptive "alt"
text for images.
• Don't: Use generic file names like
"image1.jpg," "pic.gif," "1.jpg."
• Don't: Write extremely lengthy file
names.
• Don't: Stuff keywords into "alt" text or
copy and paste entire sentences.
Link Properly
• Do: Fill out "alt" text for images when
you use them as a link. It helps
Google.
• Don't: Write excessively long "alt" text
that could be considered spammy.
• Don't: Use only image links for site
navigation. The Google crawler can't
read the text in images.
Google Resources
Google's How Search Works – Explains how Google updates search algorithms, search steps,
"spam" page identification, why sites are removed from search results, and how to get a
reconsideration.
Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide – Explains in great detail how Google uses
keywords to validate content.
Google's Webmaster Tools – Includes Webmaster FAQ, Guidelines, Site Health check, and more
help for Webmasters looking to improve web crawling and ranking of their site.
Google Analytics – Get insight into how users reach your site, find the most popular content,
and measure the impact of optimizations.
Google Website Optimizer – Run experiments to find what changes produce the best visitor
conversion rates.
Google's Content Analysis and Sitemap Tool – Can help summarize what a page is about.
Google Blog: Improve Snippets with Meta Description – Blog entry on how to improve snippets.
Google Blog: Google Does Not Use the Keywords Meta Tag in Web Ranking - Explains why
Google stopped using the keyword meta tag.
Or watch Google's Search Friendly Development video!
Conclusions
Key Points
• SEO should support the searcher.
• Don't spam, mislead, or engage in other dishonest tactics.
• Short, meaningful, and clear titles and descriptions speak for themselves.
• Anticipate the needs of visitors to your site, and better visibility in searches will follow!
Questions? Ideas?
• Are there any topics you want to know more about?